Star Railway: The Last of the Grammer Riders

Chapter 159 The Fool in the Tavern: The Fool Becomes the Fool

The two groups, plus Bronya's group that failed before, Himeko, and Gongsun... Ming? ??

Not a buddy?! Didn't you leave?!
Why are you back again!

Let's rewind a bit and see what actually happened.

Some time ago…

Gongsun thought to himself that since receiving the mask from Aha, he hadn't actually visited the tavern yet.

I might as well take advantage of the time I still have to go and visit. Although this is a branch of Pinocchio, I heard that the style is not much different from the main branch. The only difference is that there are not many types of wine and the store is not very big.

He went into the tavern.

The tavern is home to all sorts of people and oddballs.

There was a mature woman lying on the bar, fast asleep.

There are oddballs who show off more than a dozen bottles of different types of alcohol at once (including one called "water of life").

There were fools wearing masks, laughing heartily, and giving tips.

There's an incredibly cold and domineering CEO who spends his time drinking in a corner.

There were also staff members who were so busy they were a little flustered, but they still managed to hand the drinks to the customers in an orderly manner.

There were also crazy people who took off their shirts and danced to the music.

Looking at the somewhat chaotic situation.

Gongsun Ming sensed a slight sense of incongruity.

Good, good, good. As expected of the Masked Fool, his mental state is truly ahead of its time.

However, because he wasn't wearing the Fool's Mask, the Fool in the tavern didn't know that Gongsun Ming was also the Masked Fool.

They just treated it as a fun experience for ordinary people who came in for a drink.

So several fools came over to help Gongsun Ming very eagerly.

Of course, they were just there for fun, not to actually help.

However, unable to refuse such kindness, Gongsun Ming accepted the other party's 'goodwill'.

Several fools placed Gongsun Ming in front of the bar and very 'kindly' offered him a 'Universe' drink.

This 'Universe' is no ordinary cup...

It is said to be one of the formulas that the Fool 'accidentally' obtained from a genius.

It has very special effects.

It makes people experience the weight of life.

As for who that genius is?

It's Genius Club #55, Yu Qingtu.

This person is truly a master.

The cocktail is beautifully presented and has a captivating flavor. But you just can't be sure what's in it—is it poison or antidote?
If she were to bring it up herself, we would have to think about it.

But if what's presented is a fool...

Okay, I suggest you don't drink it.

Because you never know who your future neighbor will be, or what species they will be... oh no, there will only be one species: undead creatures.

However, this is just a dream. Drinking this kind of wine won't cause any major problems. At most, you'll feel a bit uncomfortable in your head when you wake up.

Of course, it's also possible that it will simply fall into a deep sleep in its dreams.

After all, you never know whether Yu Qingtu's cocktails are poison or antidote, or... an overdose of 'good medicine'?
Because sometimes... your immune system might collapse before it even realizes you've been harmed.

The Dream Pool relies on the body's immune system and nervous system to detect whether visitors in their dreams are in danger.

Of course, the person in front of you is not a normal person.

He was already prepared after the Fool brought out the cocktail.

The moment he drank it, he used Honkai energy to its fullest extent, consuming all the components in the wine.

What happened next shocked him.

The intensity of Honkai energy within my body seems... to have increased somewhat?
This is truly astonishing.

After all, the fact that Honkai energy is being enhanced means...

There is a lot of energy in it.

It sounds absurd, but there's a reason behind it.

Gongsun Ming is a fusion warrior from a pre-civilization.

But he's not just a fusion warrior; he's also a transmigrator with his own cheat abilities.

Although this cheat was given to him by the end of his "future" in that timeline.

And after this cheat ability became a fusion warrior, its strength increased.

It was originally a numerical monster but had limitations. Even after the surgery, it remained a numerical monster, but the limitations were removed when the artificial collapse was activated.

After the great collapse of Earth ended, Gongsun Ming became a civil servant.

He's stopped fighting altogether. After all, half of his power comes from cheat codes, and the other half from his own deliberate collapse.

Both require Honkai energy to operate.

However, after Kiana used up all of Earth's Honkai energy to become the second Herrscher of the End, he was basically rendered useless.

However, the fusion warriors' physical strength is no joke.

At least working like a beast of burden, the 996 work schedule won't feel tiring.

Yes, definitely the kind of working class that capitalists love most.

So after drinking it, Gongsun Ming felt his Honkai energy increase, and he was overjoyed.

After all, this means that he is still as sharp as ever and can still fight.

So, to the astonishment of the crowd of fools, cup after cup of 'Universe' entered Gongsun Ming's stomach.

Now look what's happened, you've become the butt of my own joke.

'Universe' has become 'Joy'.

In the end, with a miserable look in his eyes, the fool accepted his bet and paid all of Gongsun Ming's bills.

However, Gongsun Ming still managed to stop him and paid the bill himself.

He even paid for everyone's meal.

However, the mask that fell off Gongsun Ming after he got up made the fools realize that they had become the laughingstock of their own colleagues.

All I could do was smile helplessly.

At most, they'll get their revenge later.

However, the fool who was originally miserable and about to have his wallet emptied breathed a sigh of relief.

After all, the money he earned was almost all taken away for free.

Even the most cheerful person can get hurt.

Although the source of this money is not clean.

"Brother, during the hot sands season, do you have a way to get into the Sullivan auditions?" Gongsun Ming asked the fool.

"Huh? You can come in anytime. Why are you asking me?" The Fool asked Gongsun Ming, feeling puzzled.

"No, no, no, brother, what I mean is, is there a way to infiltrate as a staff member? Of course, there will be payment."

“Dude, you know what? You’re behaving just like those big spenders in the company,” the Fool said.

"Hey, we have too much money. Why not just save it up and put it up for worship? It's not like we're spending our own money anyway," Gongsun Ming said with a perfectly reasonable mind.

"666, so you have a big backer behind you. No wonder you spend money so lavishly. But I happen to be able to help you with that matter you mentioned. After all, I'm going to host the Hot Sand Festival soon, so I'll just give you the seat." The Fool handed an identity token to Gongsun Ming and said.

Gongsun Ming picked up the identity token and examined it carefully.

And comparing himself repeatedly with the fool before him, he discovered…

"Is this you?" Gongsun Ming asked, looking at the identity token and noticing that the Fool in front of him looked somewhat different.

“Yes, it is me,” the Fool nodded.

"Your name is Chris Justin?" Gongsun Ming asked, looking around.

“Yes, what’s wrong?” Chris Justin said.

“This doesn’t seem like you at all,” Gongsun Ming asked.

“I was young back then…” Chris said.

“6, but I don’t think it’s you,” Gongsun Ming replied.

“Yes, that’s not me at all,” 'Chris' replied calmly.

"Wow, that's impressive, bro! Where did you get that?"

"Hey, it's funny, actually. There's no such person as Chris. This name and identity are all fabricated by everyone at the tavern, just so they can squeeze in and have some fun at the start of each big event. It just so happens to be my turn to play. You can only say you're lucky, brother, to run into me. So today you're 'Chris.' And let me tell you, this isn't a low-level position! With the help of all the brothers and sisters at the tavern, I've now become the second-in-command of the Hot Sands Group, the Suleda Group. Aren't we amazing?"

"Hey, as expected of a tavern. You guys really know how to play. Are you planning to sideline Edien and make him the new factory manager next?"

"No, no, no, that's too narrow-minded. sidelining an old man like Deng is something anyone can do, that's no fun. Let's go big! Let's impersonate Adien! Let's completely take control of the Sullivan Group! Let Sullivan produce beer like crazy, fill the giant Sullivan in Adien Plaza with beer, and let everyone get completely drunk in their dreams! Finally, let's control the entire Pinocchio and make it our 'pleasure' territory!" The Fool spoke of his grand dream.

"Oh, what a magnificent dream." Gongsun Ming seemed intrigued upon hearing their goal.

"It's a pity, we probably can't do the last step. After all, the company has already intervened, and even if we Fools are incredibly powerful, we can't take Pinoctone from the family and the company." Fools seemed to have lost all his options and collapsed onto the sofa. "Sigh... If that big brother were still in charge, this kind of thing would be a piece of cake."

"It's about time. I'll head over to the hot sands now."

"Oh, right, one of our brothers is currently using this identity. Don't let it slip when we go. Otherwise, our 'century-old enterprise' will be gone in an instant."

As for whether Gongsun Ming heard it or not…

Maybe?

Anyway, he walked out with a brisk pace.

Then it was the fool's turn to take his place, replacing the guy who was about to make the broadcast.

Oh, to put it another way, the very Fool in the beginning was himself.

(End of this chapter)