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

"No... even sharper than Shima... Anyway, what happened to the Toyokawa family?"

“Mr. Toyokawa has gotten into legal trouble and may not be free for a long time, so he asked me to take care of his daughter. When I heard that his address was in the same building as your apartment, I thought I'd ask you to take care of her for a few days…”

(Teacher Daisho: Hiroi Kikuri is going to be the guardian, what a bright future!)

Make way for me: 044 Spiritual Mentor, Sister Hiroi

"Hahaha..."

Hiroi Kikuri laughed so hard that tears almost came out.

"Brother Yizhen, you really know how to make things difficult for people. Do I look like someone who is good at taking care of others?"

"It's not about cooking, doing laundry, or cleaning her room. It's just about checking on her from time to time to see if she's home, if she's having any difficulties, and if any delinquents or suspicious individuals are harassing her."

Aoyama spoke as he recalled the description of Toyokawa Kei's daughter to him.

According to Mr. Toyokawa, her daughter was very self-reliant, and for a long time, she was even responsible for taking care of the housework and dealing with some ill-intentioned outsiders.

"Then Mr. Toyokawa is rather incompetent as a father."

Hiroi pursed his lips.

"...Although it may be a bit blunt, I generally agree with what you said."

Aoyama largely agreed with Hiroi's mockery.

After leaving with nothing, Toyokawa Kei began to completely give up.

Without the support of the Toyokawa family's connections, he simply couldn't find an easy, high-paying, and prestigious job. And how could someone who once controlled hundreds of billions of yen in liquid assets possibly be willing to lower himself to become a service worker or a laborer?

For a long time, Toyokawa Kei could only stay in his cramped rented room every day, numbing himself with alcohol. Because he had no source of income, his family's financial situation was so dire that they had to rely on their daughter's earnings to make ends meet.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call such an adult a useless person.

In comparison, although Kikuri Hiroi also struggled with alcoholism and borrowed money from people (and cheated others to drink), at least she had the ability to earn money respectably, and on stage, thousands of music fans were willing to pay for the happiness she created.

While both are alcoholics, Hiroi Kikuri can be considered an alcoholic who can stand tall and be useful to society, far superior to Toyokawa Kei, who willingly becomes a parasite.

However, it is precisely because Toyokawa Kei is the kind of person who has neither money nor the humility to work that when the counterfeit currency organization secretly organized by the Neon Purification Group extends an olive branch to him, he will seize it without hesitation, because he longs to return to the powerful and influential life he once had.

The neon purification group has Zheng Zhi's influence, and its counterfeit currency activities can bring in a huge amount of cash. From Toyokawa Kei's perspective, accepting their recruitment is the only way to become a person of high status again.

Of course, he didn't expect that the Neon Purification Group just wanted to use him as a scapegoat—among some groups who were not sensitive enough to Japanese high society and foreigners, Toyokawa Kei was still a "corporation elite" with considerable status. After all, although he caused the company to lose tens of billions of yen, the Toyokawa family business had not collapsed. Among these groups, he still had "credibility". Therefore, having him participate in various money laundering activities could often save the Neon Purification Group a lot of trouble.

Of course, if you do this kind of thing too often, your "credibility will collapse" sooner or later. When that happens, Toyokawa Kei, as one of the nominal leaders of the counterfeit currency organization and the "main person responsible" for many money laundering activities, will inevitably face the most severe legal sanctions. Even if the Neon Purification Group cannot get away unscathed, it can at least protect a few of the upper-level personnel who plotted the "counterfeit currency plan".

But by the time Toyokawa Kei realized all this, he was already too deeply involved to extricate himself. In order to avoid becoming a lonely ghost in Yokohama Bay, he had no choice but to obey the orders of the counterfeit money organization and eke out a living.

Speaking of which, Toyokawa Kei's recent habit of bringing money home has made his daughter quite happy. I wonder how Hiroi Kikuri will react when she tells her that he might be going to jail later...

(Teacher Da Xiang won't be able to take the civil service exam this time, huh?)

"Hiroi, do you know why I asked you this?"

Aoyama looked at Hiroi Kikuri with a sudden serious expression. Even though the huge sunglasses covered her eyes, Hiroi could feel the tangible gaze.

"Because...because my house is very close to hers?"

"Not only that! But you are also very good at guiding other people's dreams!"

When Aoyama said this, the eyes of Shima, Eliza, and Otsuki Yuuko, who were present, all fluttered.

(Hiroi, you wicked woman!)

"Mr. Toyokawa's daughter, Shoko, is also a girl who loves music. She used to be in a band, but it disbanded for some reason. Due to limited resources, she has drifted further and further away from the music stage she dreams of..."

“But Toyokawa told me that Shoko didn’t really want to give up music… There was still a fire in her heart, but the reality of life forced her to temporarily extinguish it. But if possible, Mr. Toyokawa hoped that the fire could be reignited.”

"Among the people I know, the only one who can truly do this subtly and imperceptibly is you, Hiroi."

Before he committed any crimes, when he could have gone out to work and earn money to provide his daughter with the means to pursue her music career, Toyokawa Kei chose to stay at home and do nothing. Now that he has committed a crime and is about to go to jail, he finally remembers to help his daughter realize her dream...

What is this... is it considered "a dying man's words are good"?

If it weren't for the need for Toyokawa Kei to act as a witness, Aoyama would have already ridiculed him and fired him.

Even setting aside Toyokawa Kei's request, Aoyama, as a musician, is happy to help talented younger musicians pursue their musical dreams.

But he didn't have the time to investigate Xiangzi's talent, nor the energy to be a mentor to a girl from a troubled family... Professional matters should be left to professionals, and this kind of thing should be left to a caring older sister like Hiroi Kikuri.

As a senior leader, all you need to do is know how to recognize and appoint people to positions!

In short, after hearing what Aoyama said, Hiroi Kikuri was stunned, and her hand holding the wine glass trembled slightly.

Then, she tilted her head back and downed the champagne, which was eight-tenths full, in one gulp.

"Fill me up again!"

She boldly uttered these words to Zhima.

Shima didn't know what was going on, and as if her mind hadn't processed it, she actually poured her another cup.

She took another big gulp, wiped her mouth, and readily agreed:

"As expected, I'm the perfect person to guide that lost guitar girl!"

"When I first met Xiao Gudu, she was in the same boat. She was so desperate that she wanted to jump into the river because she couldn't sell her live tickets. But I guided her back to her senses, and now she's a popular guitarist who doesn't have to worry about selling tickets!"

"Then please."

"That's what Aoyama said."

"But Yi-zhen, there's something I need to tell you beforehand: I need to drink to counsel people. If I were sober, I might be the one needing counseling, so... how about the money for the drinks...?"

Make way for me! 045 Hiroi: I need to pay more!

"Hey, Hiroi, are you trying to get Yoshima to cover your alcohol bill for the next six months?! He already paid for the damaged stage speakers and microphone for you today, so you should tone it down a bit!"

Shima couldn't stand Hiroi's attempt to get a drink, and she sternly stopped her without any politeness.

"But you, Shima, know better than anyone what I'm like when I have no alcohol to drink. I can't possibly give advice to anyone when I'm like that!"

Hiroi Kikuri said with a mournful face.

"But even without this incident, you still drink regularly..."

"Cough cough cough, Shima, you don't understand. Guiding a lost guitar girl is very mentally taxing, and alcohol is an important fuel for me to replenish my mental energy, so I definitely have to drink more than usual."

"...Drunkards will come up with all sorts of bizarre theories just to get a few more sips of alcohol...You might as well just drink yourself to death."

Shima rolled her eyes, too lazy to listen to her nonsense.

“Since I’ve asked you to do this for me, I won’t be stingy with the minimum operating funds,” Aoyama looked at the two of them for a while and made a decision. “Here’s what we’ll do, Hiroi, you and Shima come up with a plan. I’ll have Abai transfer the money to you on time.”

Even if Hiroi Kikuri can drink a lot, as long as Shima is there to supervise her, she can only make a maximum of 10 yen a month.

This amount of money doesn't need to go through the company's accounts; Suzumiya Hyakubi can just take it himself. As the general manager, his weekly salary is around 40 yen.

"Waaah! Brother Yizhen, you're such a considerate person, no wonder you were able to become..."

Hiroi Kikuri, with tears in her eyes, wanted to rush over and hug Aoyama Muto's leg, but he pinched her mouth shut, preventing her from saying the words "high-ranking official."

"Don't talk nonsense. As my childhood friend, A-Bai is definitely willing to help with this. If you want to thank someone, you should talk to them in person... Also, you need to find a way to please Ms. Shima. After all, she has at least half the power to decide how much 'operation funds' you get each month."

Upon hearing Aoyama say this, Hiroi immediately turned around and threw himself into Shima's arms, rubbing against her thigh like a cat.

"Then let's split the cost 50/50 and first earn out my two months' worth of drinking money... and the team fee for Sick Hack..."

"..."

Aoyama saw Shima's fists clench rapidly, the grip so tight that the veins and bulges were clearly visible.

"lb!"

Hiroi has a big bump on his head... just like in Crayon Shin-chan.

"Mr. Yoshizaki, could you have your two friends arrest this guy as well? You must have heard his declaration of crime clearly, right?"

"Ouch... Shima, I was just joking..."

Hiroi covered his head, speaking somewhat guiltily.

"Just kidding. Look at all these people here, has anyone laughed?"

Hiroi glanced at Eliza and the others from SIDEROS, but everyone awkwardly looked away.

Even Otsuki, who usually uses "rock and roll" to excuse Hiroiji's many outrageous behaviors, can only choose to bury his head in the sand at this moment...

"In short, I'm leaving this to you. Also, Ms. Shima, I'd like to ask you to keep an eye on Hiroi. I don't want to give Hiroi extra money to buy alcohol and end up getting her drunk and ending up in the hospital. As a reward... I'll contribute more from the team's allowance."

After explaining the matter to Aoyama, he took his leave, as he had some important business to discuss with Mikami Reiji.

Hearing Aoyama's footsteps fade into the distance, Eliza could no longer contain her curiosity and asked Hiroi Kikuri:

"Kikuri, what is Yoshima's true identity? Not only does he have close relationships with prosecutors and police officers, but he also seems to be very wealthy."

"This one……"

Hiroi gave him an expression that said, "I can't talk about this unless you can persuade Shima to pay for the drinks more."

Eliza understood, blinked, and had an idea.

She patted Shima on the shoulder and said seriously, "Shima, actually, increasing Kikuri's 'activity funds' a little more might not be a bad thing."

Are you going to be dragged down with her too?

Shima's eyes suddenly sharpened.

"No, think about it. When Kikuri is short of money, she buys cheap Demon Slayer sake to drink. Demon Slayer sake is cheaper than many mineral waters. Drinking that kind of sake all the time is definitely bad for Kikuri's health. But after appropriately increasing her 'activity funds,' she can buy some better sake to drink. This way, on the one hand, the damage to her body will be reduced, and on the other hand, the better sake will gradually make her taste more discerning, so she will no longer be able to drink that kind of inferior sake. When this 'activity fund' stops being issued, she will have to use the same amount of money as before to buy even less of the better sake to drink. In the long run, this can reduce the total amount of alcohol she drinks..."

"…………"

Shima's eyes were somewhat confused. She pondered for a moment and asked back uncertainly.

"According to your logic... the more money Hiroi spends on drinks, the less she drinks?"

"That's right, you've got the point!"

Eliza nodded with a confident expression.

"The more money you have for alcohol, the less you drink!"

Hiroi immediately offered a compliment, "Wow, no wonder you're from the same hometown as Sherlock Holmes! Your extraordinary logical thinking ability is something we Japanese can only dream of!"

"You two teamed up to mess with me, didn't you!"

But Shima was clearly not so easily fooled. She frowned and said to Hiroi in a emotionless voice:

"As punishment for your dishonesty, the amount is reduced by 10,000 yuan."

"Ah wu..."

Eliza shrugged helplessly. "Shima is not so easy to fool after all. But Kikuri, considering how hard I tried just now, please satisfy my curiosity."

Hiroi looked conflicted, then let out a long sigh.

"Ok."

Upon hearing this, everyone present, including Shima, perked up their ears.

Although they didn't ask, they were also very curious about Aoyama's true identity.

"The answer is quite obvious, isn't it... When Yi-zhen appears in public, he's always wearing a mask or covering his face with sunglasses and a face mask. He also has close relationships with the police and prosecutors, is not short of money, is physically strong and has excellent skills, and most importantly, he is multi-talented... With so many characteristics combined, his identity can only be that one."

Hiroi turned around, took out his bass, and played a melody full of mystery.

"He is a spy."

"Code name 'Twilight'".

……

Led by the waiter, Aoyama arrived at the room where Mikage Reiji and Itokozuke were.

Yu Jian was sitting upright in the guest seat, leaving the host seat to Qing Shan Xiang.

Inspector Itokozaki sat next to Mitsurugi, looking somewhat nervous and reserved.

Aoyama told the waiter, "Please don't disturb us if we don't need to greet you," then closed the door, took off his mask, and sat down in the main seat without any hesitation.