You've been ruined by games all your life!

Chapter 129, Section Four on Exorcism (25)

"Grilled chicken skin, side dishes, sweet sauce, then two skewers of chicken hearts, two skewers of chicken thigh meat, two skewers of chicken triangle meat, and four skewers of chicken breast, chicken thigh meat, and chicken shoulder meat."

Chen Lai looked at the menu of the yakitori shop and spoke slowly to the drowsy shop manager.

"Please find a seat anywhere."

The manager used pliers to add a few pieces of charcoal to the bottom of the grill, speaking slowly. The manager looked quite old and always seemed sleepy in the afternoon. At the time Chen came to eat, it should have been his time to doze off.

"Oh, and two cans of Asahi beer, please."

Chen Lai looked up and saw that the store seemed to have a promotion where you could drink for two hours for 1500 yen. Eating yakitori without ice-cold beer would be a waste.

So, of course, it has to be ice-cold beer.

"Hey, you guy!"

Dongshan Xiaohong sat on a chair at a single table, anxiously and in a low voice questioning Chen Lai: "I don't have any money! Neither do you. Let's just go eat a bowl of tonkotsu ramen. How can you come into such a high-class restaurant?"

"...This restaurant doesn't look like a high-end restaurant at all."

"You rascal, you've never experienced hardship, have you? Do you know what it's like to eat a piece of sushi cut into nine parts? The sweetness hasn't even reached your mouth before the bitterness has already hit you!"

"Also, I'm your senior, so it's only right that I treat you to a meal since I'm in Tokyo. But I don't have any money, and without money, I can't afford anything, not even ice cream!"

Dongshan Xiaohong's emotions were very unstable. She spoke in a low voice and then in a loud voice, fearing that the store manager would find out that they had no money, while also hoping that Chen Lai could understand her feelings.

In short, she's a very conflicted girl. Although she's very pretty, her somewhat unfashionable clothing style only makes people want to bully her more.

"Give her the exact same thing, all-you-can-drink beer, right?"

Ignoring her emotional outburst, Chen Lai lazily asked the old manager for more dishes.

"I can't eat that much... Wait, are you even listening to me?!"

Dongshan Xiaohong was shot at. If Maqima hadn't asked her to pick up Chen Lai and take on the responsibility of a "senior", she would have abandoned Chen Lai and run away long ago.

"Don't worry, I have money to pay the bills."

Chen Lai stared at the sizzling, oily yakitori on the charcoal grill, his eyes calm and unwavering, as if he could actually pull out a handful of Fukuzawa Yukichi from his pocket.

"really?"

Hearing that she had money to pay the bill, Dongshan Xiaohong sat down with a mix of relief and unease. She was very slender, and her buttocks only occupied half of the chair, making her look tense and awkward.

Uneasy desu.

"Beer, egg wash, and roasted chicken skin, please enjoy."

Just then, the old manager brought over some side dishes, as well as the main dishes that Chen had ordered.

He hesitated for a moment, then gave the side dishes to Chen Lai first, and then gave the main dishes to Dongshan Xiaohong. He had heard the argument between the two, but having lived to such an old age and run a shop here for over thirty years, he was used to many things.

He could tell at a glance that Dongshan Xiaohong was probably genuinely broke. Her coat was tattered and ill-fitting, while her uniform underneath was quite elegant, but it clearly clashed with the coat. As for Chen Lai, this man might not have money, but he certainly had ways to pay, whether legal or illegal.

The store manager has a keen eye for talent. There are probably two types of people in the world who are most accurate at judging people: one is a taxi driver who drives late at night, and the other is a restaurant owner who has been running a business for more than 20 years.

People like them have seen both humans and humanoid beings; if ghosts exist, they are probably the most likely to see them.

The aroma of smokeless charcoal grilling slowly rose, and the ice-cold Asahi beer was right next to her. Higashiyama Xiaohong, who had been hungry for a long time, swallowed hard, and Chen Lai pushed the side dishes in front of him towards her.

"Eat up, look how hungry the child is."

Higashiyama Koko tried to resist the temptation of yakitori, but she couldn't. She was really short of food. Although she was a demon hunter and her salary was not low, she didn't usually eat anything good. She could only eat her fill once a year when the Anti-Demon Division 4 had a group meal.

Before I knew it, the side dish coated in egg yolk was already in my mouth.

An ice-cold beer is already a hearty drink...

Dongshan Xiaohong ate very quickly. She actually had a big appetite, but she usually wrapped her belly with a women's belt to reduce her hunger.

Chen Lai watched her eat, his fingers tapping slowly on the table. Through the profile of the girl with the red hair clip, Chen Lai seemed to see her tragic but still fortunate future.

Those in the Anti-Magic Section 4 rarely have a good ending. Those who are close to Denji, such as Hayakawa Aki, Himeno, and Power, tend to die the most tragically in the end.

Dongshan Xiaohong was quite lucky; she survived to the end. Dianci saved her from being killed by Machima's "Millennium Gun," and she was eventually rescued by the shore, which can be considered a good ending.

"Here, guest, this is yours."

The owner placed a large pile of grilled skewers on an iron plate and gently put it in front of Chen Lai. As usual, he had ice-cold beer and egg yolks. The beer was served in a wide-mouthed glass with visible foam, making it very refreshing to drink.

"Oh, thank you."

Chen Lai rubbed his hands together. He was actually quite happy to see the meat. Experiencing different delicacies in different dungeons was part of the game, and he had to try them.

Sprinkle some "One-Flavor Chili" on the roasted chicken skin, and Chen Lai takes a bite. The satisfaction of his taste buds makes him temporarily forget the unpleasant things that followed the game... To be honest, this dungeon is not easy, otherwise the equipment for entering the dungeon wouldn't be so expensive.

When Chen Lai asked Higashiyama Xiaohong about the "chainsaw roaring," he was actually asking if Denji had joined Section 4. As it stands, he hasn't yet and is likely still under the control of the gangsters.

Zombie demons, sword demons, leech demons, bat demons, giant snake demons... Ah, so many battles await him. He might die if he's not careful. Before he gains the trust of the Fourth Division, without demonic power, he can only rely on his physical talent to fight!

Since things have come to this, shall we eat first?
One skewer of yakitori after another was served. Chen Lai actually ordered too much. Most office workers would be full after eating seven or eight skewers and having a few drinks with colleagues, but Chen Lai ordered almost a portion for two people, and it wasn't cheap either.

The difference between yakitori and grilled chicken is that yakitori tastes pretty good when grilled over charcoal. It requires the chef to carefully control the heat. The chicken cannot be fishy or too dry or tough, otherwise it will lose its chewiness. It makes sense that Japanese office workers like to eat yakitori and have some beer after get off work, because it tastes really good.

"Hiccup~"

After eating and drinking her fill, Dongshan Xiaohong loosened her belt and took the last sip of Asahi beer. The owner walked over with a smile and handed her the price list.

"Thank you for your patronage. The total is 6000 yen. Would you like to pay by card or cash?"

(End of this chapter)