Perhaps unaccustomed to having someone hold her tail, this time it was Ellen who woke first.
“Hm?” Still groggy, Ellen reached up to rub her eyes, then instinctively gave the object in her hand a little squeeze.
Now fully awake, Ellen quickly realized what was going on.
A little nervously, she glanced at Buyuan.
Seeing no signs of him waking, she breathed a sigh of relief.
Cautiously, she tried to pull her tail free, only to discover this guy had a pretty tight grip on it.
Somewhat vexed, Ellen gave Buyuan’s tail a squeeze as a bit of venting, but didn’t dare use too much force for fear of waking him.
‘I must’ve been out of my mind.
How did I agree to this?’ Ellen laid her head on the desk in frustration.
She was now pondering how to communicate with this guy later.
After deep reflection, she realized Buyuan was more easily embarrassed than she was.
So she’d just pretend to be asleep and let him run off on his own when class ended.
But because she was already awake and couldn’t fall back asleep, the strange sensation of him holding her tail kept lingering in the little shark’s mind.
‘Ellen, what’s wrong with you?
Ruby and the others touch your tail all the time.’ The more she thought, the more agitated she became.
Her foot, clad in its little leather shoe, tapped incessantly against the floor.
Ding-dong-ding-dong.
Under Ellen’s continuous self-hypnosis, class finally ended.
Buyuan lifted his head and looked around groggily.
He gave the tail in his arms a rub, then got up by instinct.
Ellen quietly released her grip, and Buyuan’s tail was smoothly pulled free in turn.
Only then did Buyuan realize he was still holding Ellen’s tail.
He placed her tail on the chair and patted her shoulder.
“Ellen, get up.
School’s out.” As Buyuan called to Ellen, he noticed Ruby and the others were still chatting at their seats, though he could feel them sneaking glances this way.
“Yeah, okay.” Ellen, who had been feigning sleep anyway, took the cue and lifted her head.
Then Ellen discovered this jerk had absolutely no intention of bolting.
Instead, he was studying her with keen interest.
“What are you looking at!” Noticing his gaze, she glared back fiercely.
“Nothing, nothing.
Just thought it was a bit of a shame that today, Ellen didn’t look all groggy right after waking up.” Buyuan was on a completely different level from this innocent little shark.
He could tell immediately that Ellen had been awake for a while.
He’d even guessed the reason she’d pretended to be asleep — she was probably just embarrassed.
Then he found himself subjected to Ellen’s ferocious glare.
All Buyuan could do was raise a hand to his mouth and mime zipping his lips.
“Hmph!” Ellen turned and walked towards Ruby and the others.
Buyuan figured he’d head home for lunch too.
Pulling out his phone from the drawer, he saw two messages from his special contacts.
“Ellen’s right here.
Belle’s probably busy at the store right now.
So it’s gotta be Qingyi.
Strange.” He’d set Qingyi as a special contact the moment he’d accepted her friend request.
Qingyi: There’s a special operation this afternoon.
Interested?
Qingyi: I can only tell you the time and location.
I can’t directly bring you along.
After all, you’re not PubSec personnel, nor are you registered.
Qingyi: If you agree, remember to reply.
I’ll be a bit more aggressive in this afternoon’s operation.
Qingyi: As for a carrot, I trust you’ll figure something out.
Buyuan: Fine.
Send me the details.
Qingyi: We got intel from the Yellow Scorpion leader we captured last time.
The remaining gangs have a deal going with rebel forces, and the next transaction is this very afternoon.
PubSec plans to use this chance to make a big move.
Qingyi: Military personnel will be involved this time, but due to last-minute scheduling, they can’t arrive right away.
PubSec’s job is to stall them.
Of course, since you’re coming, we’ll take a more aggressive approach.
That way, you can avoid running into the military.
Qingyi: If we can’t wrap it up in time, just pull out.
Meeting them would be a bit troublesome for you.
Buyuan: By what you’re saying, this operation seems foolproof.
So why take the risky path and bring in an unknown variable like me?
Qingyi: Orders from above.
We’re to make sure that, even if we can’t resolve it before the military arrives, we don’t let them resolve everything either.
Qingyi: Sigh ε=(′ο｀*))) “Looks like Bringer’s worried about his influence being affected by the military if they pull this off.
Tsk tsk tsk, with the city council elections coming up and all.” Buyuan thought it over and decided to join in.
After all, the mission he completed wouldn’t be a mission completed by PubSec.
Buyuan: Location and exact time.
Qingyi: Official entrance of the Crete Hollow.
3 PM.
Just follow us.
Buyuan: Understood.
“Hey!
What are you chatting about?” Ellen noticed this guy had been lagging behind, glued to his phone, and found it a bit odd.
“Nothing.
Ellen, something came up, so I won’t be around this afternoon.” Buyuan quickened his pace to catch up with them.
“You have a part-time job too?” Ruby’s eyes carried a hint of suspicion.
“Sort of, I guess.” Buyuan naturally couldn’t say more.
“Whether you come or not has nothing to do with me.” Ellen’s expression didn’t change much, but her footsteps sped up a little.
Ruby hurriedly quickened her pace to keep up, turning back to exchange amused glances with the other two.
“Ah.” Buyuan understood their expressions perfectly, but felt a bit helpless.
The connection had been building up a bit too fast.
Otherwise, the little shark wouldn’t be upset over something like this.
“Ellen, wanna go out this weekend?” Now that he’d gotten familiar with them, this guy had completely lost any concept of shame.
“No.” Ellen refused cleanly and decisively.
Ruby and the others very harmoniously shut their mouths and watched the drama unfold while munching on their figurative popcorn.
“Don’t say no.
You guys are the only friends I’ve got at school.
Thanks to you, I’m not all alone and pitiful here!
My treat this weekend, tea-infused milk is on me too.” Seeing that he was getting nowhere with Ellen alone, Buyuan switched targets to all four of them.
“F-Fine.
Ellen, just come along.
Look at this guy.
He clearly doesn’t have many friends.
On the weekend, he’ll definitely be at home alone, huddled under a little blanket, wiping away tears.” Ruby and the others hadn’t planned on taking sides.
But Buyuan looked at them pitifully and placed his tail in front, hinting at something.
Who was Ruby, after all?!
Of course she agreed immediately.
“Fine.” Seeing her good sisters had all spoken, Ellen had no choice either.
“Then it’s settled.
See you all tomorrow.
Bye-bye.” Seeing he’d succeeded, Buyuan didn’t dawdle.
He turned and strode off quickly.
He was actually in a bit of a rush.
He wasn’t sure if Belle and the others were free.
If not, he’d still need them to make him a carrot.
When Buyuan got home and opened the door, he saw Makoto obediently waiting for him behind it.
“Baal, you don’t have to wait at the door for me.” Buyuan scooped Baal up and set her on the couch.
“En-nah-nah, en-neh.” (I only went over because I heard your footsteps.) Makoto hurriedly explained.
Too bad Buyuan didn’t understand Bangboo-speak.
“Alright, alright.
Help me contact Belle using the Kamen Rider account.” Buyuan tossed his phone onto the couch, sat down, and started chowing down.
“Ask them if they’re free to take a commission.
We’re going big this time!
I’m gonna make Kamen Rider blow up on Inter-Knot.” Buyuan planned to resolve the issue before the military arrived.
And conveniently let a few unimportant small-fry slip away.
That way, his reputation on Inter-Knot would be forged in a single battle.
Paired with the Inter-Knot hype, the Kamen Rider novel he’d written would quickly get dug up too.
“En-na-na.” (They’re free.
They’re asking about the commission fee and the specifics.) Makoto launched into a string of en-na and en-neh.
Buyuan didn’t understand a single word.
“Commission fee, 300,000.
Objective: tail PubSec and steal their achievement.” Buyuan wasn’t sure how to explain it properly.
There was no way he could just say a PubSec officer was an inside contact deliberately letting him butt in.
Thinking it over, he was a Proxy client and they were Proxies.
Saying “steal their achievement” outright was perfectly in character and not suspicious at all.
“En-na-na.” (They said that’s not enough.) Makoto handed the phone to Buyuan.
Wise: Tailing PubSec officers is no small job.
We may be Proxies, but we have no intention of making enemies with PubSec.
Wise: What I mean is, we need more money.
Cash Cow: You know I have money, so you’re blatantly jacking up the price, huh?
Wise: Just kiddi…
Cash Cow: Add 100,000.
Wise retracted a message.
Wise: Give me the time.
See you at the usual spot.
Cash Cow: Meet at 2:30 PM.
Buyuan put down his phone.
He didn’t care in the slightest about Wise or Belle hiking the price.
There’d be plenty of ways to earn it back later anyway.
For instance, once the main storyline started, there was no way they wouldn’t come to him for help.
Or maybe he’d just whisk Belle away and call it all a dowry.
“Baal, help me find my disguise gear from before.” Buyuan cleaned up the dishes and walked into the kitchen.
He rested for a bit, browsed Inter-Knot, and pestered Ellen a little.
Unfortunately, she didn’t respond.
“Baal, I’m heading out.
Same rules as always — if you get bored, you can go find No.
18.
No going out alone.
Gangs have been snatching lone Bangboo lately.
Tomorrow I’ll take you to meet my classmates.” Buyuan gave his instructions to Makoto, who stood dutifully at the door seeing him off.
“En-neh, en-na-na.” Makoto nodded obediently, waving her stubby little arm at him.
After heading downstairs, Buyuan found a public restroom and changed into his disguise.
Arriving at the coffee shop, he saw Eous already there.
“Let’s go.
We’re cutting it close.
I misjudged the location of the Crete Hollow’s official entrance.” Buyuan had never imagined the official entrance was near 14th Street.
“Okay.” Belle hurriedly piloted Eous to follow.
Accompanied by the roar of the engine, Buyuan floored the gas pedal.
“S-Slow down!” Eous’s little eyes turned into swirling spirals.
“Sorry, tight on time.
Gonna have to get Qingyi to help sort out my speeding violation later.” Buyuan muttered under his breath.
…
“Just in the nick of time~ made it.” Buyuan carefully cradled the dazed Eous in his arms.
From a street not far away, he watched the PubSec officers lining up to enter the Hollow.
Just then, Qingyi, who had deliberately placed herself at the very back, seemed to sense something.
She turned her head and looked towards Buyuan.
Buyuan pressed two fingers together and gave a casual flick from his brow.
Qingyi merely gave a slight nod.
“What’s wrong, Senior Qingyi?” Sensing Qingyi’s odd behavior, Zhu Yuan turned and asked with concern.
“Nothing.
As the ancients said: fortune favors the bold.
Today’s luck is with me.
Twice the result, half the effort.” Qingyi spoke in cryptic tones as she followed the team into the Hollow.
“That PubSec officer spotted us!” Belle’s voice was tinged with alarm.
“You two know each other?!” Then Belle saw Buyuan exchanging greetings with that officer.
“Sort of, I guess.
She’s a sharp one.” Buyuan didn’t elaborate.
She’d understand once the plot reached that point.
“Come on.
We’re going in.” Buyuan led Eous into the Hollow as well.
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