death of hope

Chapter 993 "Psionic Storm" (67) Joy and Sorrow
135 Shizuoka Street, Niigata Reika Laundry Shop
The dilapidated streets and unassuming little shops hold hidden secrets.

This is the secret branch of the commune organization in Shin-Sapporo, which is regarded as a dangerous force by the Terra Federation and major corporations.

As dusk fell, the shops closed their shutters and went out of business. The streets were deserted, save for a furtive masked man who crept stealthily along the walls.
The masked man pulled his hood tighter, made sure no one was around, picked up half a red brick, and banged on the stainless steel roller shutter door of the laundromat.
"Who is it? It's closed. If you want to do laundry, come back tomorrow."

"The king of heaven overshadows the tigers of earth."

"Pagoda suppresses the river demon."

"Mwah mwah~"

"Speaking at midday, no one has a home."

"Why are you blushing?"

“Refreshed!”

"Why is it yellow again?"

"Wax for cold protection."

After exchanging the secret code, the sound of a motor starting up came from inside the laundromat, and the roller shutter door slowly rose.

The masked man entered the house, removed his hood, and revealed the long, narrow face and pointed ears characteristic of the Eldar. The people in the shop warmly welcomed him, offering him cigarettes and canned beer.

"You're back, Lao Cui."

"OK."

Trist lit a cigarette, opened a can of beer, and took a big gulp. The carbon dioxide in the ice-cold beer stimulated his mouth, and the refreshing feeling chased away his fatigue.

"Why are you back so late, Master Cui?"

Trist swallowed hard and lied, "Hey, on the way back we ran into a police patrol and had to take a detour to avoid them, which delayed us."

"Is martial law being declared now?"

"The streets are full of cops, after all, that old hag is coming soon."

"That's true. Um, wanna play cards?"

"Forget it, I'm tired, I'm going back to my room to rest." "Haha, what do you mean you're tired? With those pointy ears, you're just afraid of losing money, aren't you!" the bearded Sergei laughed.

"What's the point of gambling for a bunch of poor bastards like us? We're just having some fun." Dmitri smoothed the slips of paper stuck to his face; clearly, he had lost the most.

No one doubted Twisted Fate's story. They watched him go back to his room to rest, close the shutter door, and sit back down at the table to continue the game.

"Whose turn is it?"

"I am Spade Hook~"

Donya drew a Jack of Spades and threw it out, complaining, "Hey An, why are the codes in your new Sapporo branch so weird? It's like a theatrical performance."

"square pieces."

Ando Shuichi tossed out a Queen of Diamonds: "Beautiful lady, you should ask our boss about this. He's the one who sets the rules."

"Can't handle it, PASS!"

Nikolai didn't play his card. He coughed twice to clear his throat and said, "I'm thinking that only our own people have seen the model opera 'Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy' performed by our Cultural Troupe. Using that as a code is sure to be right."

"Practical, and also artistic and humorous!" Paul nodded in agreement. He didn't join the card game, but instead drank his soda and watched the fun from the sidelines.
"Besides you guys, the secret codes used by the Vladivostok branch are quite funny."

“Vladivostok branch? That sounds familiar. What’s their code?” Nikolai raised an eyebrow, looking quite interested.

"Do you remember the skit performed by the Beihai Cultural Troupe during the cultural festivities a few years ago? It was the program that won an award."

Nikolai paused for a moment, then clapped his hands: "Oh! I remember now, that skit was hilarious, 'Imperial Jade Liquor'!"

Rimi Takiya and Shuichi Ando almost simultaneously uttered the next line: "One hundred and eighty yuan a cup!"

"Hahahaha!" Everyone laughed so hard they were doubled over, and playing cards fell all over the floor.

"I laughed so hard I almost choked..." Dimitri looked at the closed door; "Too bad your Elven brother didn't hear it."

“Hmph, those pointy-eared guys have no sense of humor and won’t laugh,” Sergei scoffed. “Old Cui is always looking gloomy.”

"Anyone who has gone through something like that wouldn't be in a good mood." Paul raised his arm to check his watch.
"That's enough playing. Get some rest. Tomorrow we'll have a simulation training session to warm up and prepare for the upcoming operation."