After being elected as the governor of Tokyo, he will debut as a band!

"Could it be that you, guest, have also been to the Angel Bar?"

"What sub-angel..."

Aoyama had no idea what "Asia Angel Bar" was, but in order to conceal his identity, he simply admitted it without really knowing what it was.

However, the fiery young man of yesteryear has now become a middle-aged man with a girlish heart; life is truly unpredictable…

(PS: Ashi, a women's clothing bar located in Champion Street, Kamurocho.)

"Yes, it's the Angel Bar. It's been a long time, Yoshida-san."

"I see. No wonder you wore a mask to hide your identity. Your attire suggests you have a high social status. You're probably a department head or even a managing director at a large corporation. It would be really bad if people found out about your hobbies."

"Haha...maybe, perhaps, maybe that's how it is..."

Qingshan agreed without really understanding what was going on.

What "preferences in this area"? I don't understand what you're talking about at all.

"So, Mr. Guest, would you like to try something different today and come see a rock performance? What a tasteful guest you are."

"Ah no, actually I was invited by Ms. Hiroi to attend the rehearsal for Sick Hack today."

Upon hearing this, Aoyama noticed a girl with pigtails sitting at a small round table not far away, and his eyes suddenly sharpened.

"oh oh!"

A look of realization dawned on Yoshida Ginjiro's face.

"So you're the one Xiaojuli was talking about who has reached the 'semi-saint' level of drumming skills."

"That's too kind of you, Miss Hiroi."

“Haha, although she always talks nonsense when she’s drunk, she still has high standards for music,” he pointed to the passageway diagonally behind him. “The other two members of Sick Hack are already waiting in the lounge. You can go directly to see them.”

"Uh, isn't Hiroi here?"

"You'll have to wait and see about her. Who knows where she's drinking heavily right now..." Yoshida Ginjiro shrugged, then glanced at his suit and shoes as if he had just thought of something, and muttered under his breath, "Speaking of which, if you could really join Sick Hack, then Shima and Eliza would have an easier time losing money for others in the future."

"...I heard that, Ji."

"Tian Sang, what do you mean by 'losing money'?"

Aoyama took a step forward, his tall and strong body blocking out several spotlights on the ceiling.

Even when he was wearing Cao Cao's mask, Yoshida could still "sense" the benevolent expression on his face.

And to be fair, for Japanese people who are unfamiliar with Peking Opera masks, Cao Cao's mask is quite terrifying.

“Uh… that’s it,” Yoshida’s mind raced, then he held up a finger as if he’d just remembered something. “Isn’t there a saying? Rock and roll is the art of destruction! So, you know…”

"..."

Aoyama admired Yoshida Ginjiro's quick wit.

I've played rock music before; at most, I've broken drumheads or snapped violin bows. But such damage takes time to accumulate. The kind of situation you described where you have to pay money all the time probably can't be blamed on rock music.

However, I probably won't stay in the Sick Hack band for too long. No matter how destructive Hiroi Kikuri is, it has nothing to do with me. Even if I'm unlucky and encounter that kind of situation in the performances I participate in, it doesn't matter. So what if I lose money?

I'm a professional at this.

Thanks to @{"reader_id":"6549732","reader_name":"Green Agni"} for the razor blades~

I feel that solitary rock and Yakuza's worldview fits together very well.

Make way for me: 020 I thought I was going to be recognized.

Yoshida Ginjiro led Aoyama to the door of the lounge, opened the door two steps ahead of him, and gave the person inside a series of winks.

Aoyama was quite good at reading people, and he immediately realized that Yoshida Ginjiro was saying, "Someone who's a bit difficult has arrived."

"Then I'll head back now. Call me if you need anything."

Yoshida Ginjiro waved to Aoyama Mukashi and then turned and left.

Aoyama adjusted his mask and went into the room.

"Oh!"

As soon as he entered the door, he heard a gasp of surprise.

Looking up, he saw a blonde, blue-eyed young woman staring at him with wide eyes.

That expression? Does it mean he recognizes me?

Aoyama was startled and began to observe the blonde woman as well.

Although it is not easy for East Asians to tell the nationality of a European just by their appearance, Aoyama Muto has studied at top universities in the United States in both his previous and current lives, which has given him the ability to distinguish the major ethnic groups among the Europeans.

This young woman looks British. Could she be the daughter of a British consulate official? Or the daughter of a multinational corporation executive in Japan? Has she seen me at a banquet before?

While she was pondering, the blonde woman spoke—

"Your outfit makes you look like the mayor..."

No way, they actually recognized me? But...Mayor?

Yes, yes, there is no such position as "governor" in the UK, so in her mind I am probably just the mayor of Tokyo Special City.

"and many more……"

Aoyama tried to stop her from revealing his identity, but it was too late; the blonde woman had already uttered her entire sentence—

"...He looks like Cody Travers in his mayoral form!"

"???"

Cody Travers?

Thankfully, Aoyama had never been in a relationship in his previous life, and he spent all his time outside of research playing video games, otherwise he really wouldn't know who the blonde woman was talking about.

What, you mean this life? In this life, Aoyama Xiangquan spends all his free time playing drums, guitar, and violin; he hasn't even touched a game.

Cody Travers, one of the three playable characters in Final Fight, is nicknamed "Whitey." He initially appears as a vigilante who enjoys street fighting, but in Street Fighter V, he is elected mayor of the Metro City by former mayor Mike Hag. Even after becoming mayor, he still maintains his passion for street fighting and will still go out to the streets to fight strong opponents whenever he feels like it.

Thinking about this, Aoyama understood why the blonde woman felt she resembled Mayor Cody.

Because his current outfit is exactly the same as Cody Travers's from Street Fighter V: striped suit pants, striped shirt, indigo waistcoat, and a leather watch he chose specifically for a low-key look, plus his tall and muscular physique... To put it bluntly, the only difference between him and Cody Travers is probably his striking blond hair. If he were willing to wear a wig or dye his hair blonde, he could easily stand at the fighting game booth at a comic convention without looking out of place.

“Wait, Eliza, that’s very rude.”

The black-haired woman who had been sitting with the blonde woman stood up, tugged at her arm, crossed her hands in front of her, and gave Aoyama a slight bow.

"Hello, I'm Shima Yamashita, and this is Eliza Shimizu. Eliza is very interested in anime and manga culture, so she was a little flustered when she saw a character she was familiar with. I hope you can forgive her."

“Oh, it’s alright… Rather, it’s an honor to be mistaken for one of my favorite game characters by this beautiful lady, and I quite like Cody Travers as well.”

"I am polite," said Qingshan.

But to be honest, he didn't really like Cody in his previous life. His ultimate move, Hadouken, required level 4 to unleash, and he preferred the old mayor, Mark Hager.

"Oh, Shima, this guy seems like a good person! We should just let him join us!"

Feeling that her interests were being recognized, Shimizu Eliza immediately stood on Aoyama's side.

The other two members of sickhack were not like her, so she had always hoped that someone who shared her love for anime and manga culture could join them.

Aoyama Xiang isn't really a fan of anime and manga; he only knows a little about it. But Eliza, who is like a parched land receiving rain, has already come to regard him as a "friend in the circle."

“I didn’t say he wasn’t a good person,” Shima, with her short black hair, pushed Eliza away as she leaned towards her, her eyes now serious as she looked at Aoyama again. “But to join Sickhack, being a good person alone isn’t enough… Oh, by the way, sir, your name is Yoshima Ijichi, right?”

"???"

Yoshima is fine, but what's the deal with the surname "Ijichi"?

Among the people I know, only Xingge and Hongxia have this surname. Hiroi, that idiot drunkard, did he just decide to have me marry into their family?!

Aoyama could even picture himself questioning Hiroi Kikuri about this issue, only to have the latter grin foolishly and say, "What does it matter? We'll be family sooner or later anyway."

"Isn't that your name?"

Iwashita Shima looked hesitant.

“Well, a name is just a code,” Aoyama scratched his mask. “Besides, you see I’m wearing a mask, which obviously means I need to hide my identity, so that name… But you can call me Yoshima-san, so just ignore Ijichi.”

"Oh, so you're wearing a mask to hide your identity? Hmm, like Lelouch of the Rebellion? Maybe there's a powerful figure behind the mask? But this mask looks like a Peking Opera mask, doesn't it? It's quite rare to see one in Japan."

Eliza Shimizu marveled.

This blonde beauty may seem a bit naive on the outside, but her sixth sense might actually be quite accurate...

Green mountains yearn for the heart.

"Alright then, Yoshima-san... Although I trust Hiroi's judgment, it's still necessary to see your playing level and performance style for us in person. Could you give us a live performance?"

Shima asked.

"of course can."

"So, what musical instrument are you good at?"

"Huh? Didn't Hiroi tell you?"

Even though Manager Yoshida knows that my drum kit skills have reached a 'semi-saint' level.

"...She can be a bit reckless sometimes..."

“Indeed,” Aoyama nodded in agreement, then said, “My best instrument is the drums.”

"What... he's a drummer too?"

Shima Yamashita was slightly surprised, then a thoughtful expression appeared on her face.

"A dual drummer setup? Is Hiroi trying to change the band's style or does she have some new idea...?"

Sickhack's music is primarily psychedelic rock, and in playing this type of music, the dual-drum setup doesn't perform particularly well.

However, there are psychedelic rock bands that have two drummers. For example, the Grateful Dead used a dual-drummer lineup for a period of time, and it worked quite well. Their hit song Deadhead came out during that time.

Make way for me: 021 All-around musician

Just as Iwashita Shima was seriously considering whether a double drummer lineup was feasible, Shimizu Eliza suddenly hugged her.

"Eliza? What's with this all of a sudden..."

"Shima-chan is our band's best drummer! I won't support you! You can leave now! I'll tell Kikuri-chan you don't meet the requirements!"

Eliza Shimizu glared at Aoyama, her eyes filled with resistance.

"...Miss Eliza, have you misunderstood something?"

Aoyama felt like he was being unfairly targeted.

He touched the Cao Cao mask on his face, wondering if it was because of this "treacherous hero" mask that he didn't look like a good person.

"In short! Don't even think about taking Shima's place in our band!"

"That Eliza, actually, a band can't only have one drummer..."

Iwashita Shima interrupted somewhat awkwardly.

"Eh?"

"You don't know enough about rock bands! In the future, don't just spend your time playing games and watching anime. Pay more attention to the history of rock music and the development of famous bands!"

Eliza was so shocked by what she said that she took a step back, then fell to the ground and drew circles with her fingers.

"...I...I...I'm just a 2D fan who likes to play guitar! I only came to Japan to sing 2D songs, the history of rock music and the development of famous bands are too heavy!"

Rock bands with two or more drummers are relatively rare, but they do exist.

For example, the band Slipknot has three drummers, and the Japanese band Boredom even has four drummers.

However, the configuration of multiple drummers is generally more suitable for digital rock (MathRock) bands that pursue complex rhythms, and metal rock bands that pursue heavy hits and impact.

Bands like Ill Nino, which have a light metal style, have multiple drummers, but they have a clear division of labor. The second drummer is more like a percussionist than a drummer. One drummer grasps the main axis of the performance, while the percussionist adds the thickness of the song, thus avoiding the disharmony of rhythm and tempo caused by strong drums and weak percussion.

"Actually, I don't necessarily have to play the drums. If you two find it difficult, I can also play the guitar and violin. I might not be good at the bass, but I can manage to play as an assistant."

Aoyama noticed Shima's dilemma and offered her a prepared explanation to reassure her.

His main purpose in joining Sickhack was to investigate the activities of the neon purification group in Yokohama under a cover.