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

When he saw that singer Ichiji had a glass of Daiginjo sake next to him, he frowned and took the glass away and poured it out.

Ijichi Seika also had a hesitant expression on her face.

"Ah, what a waste! That was a good wine that Senior Abai brought me. Instead of pouring it into the trash can, you might as well pour it into my mouth."

Hiroi Kikuri, who was originally engrossed in playing bass, suddenly interrupted.

"...You've already drunk enough today."

Aoyama recalled the strong smell of alcohol he had smelled on Kikuri when they had a close conversation before.

However, for rock singers, drinking isn't even considered a bad habit. In fact, there are far more outrageous tastes in this group, which have even created a terrifying stereotype among the general public. Therefore, Aoyama didn't intend to use this point to criticize her.

"When did you pick up this...hobby? I remember you used to just like drinking sparkling wine and stuff."

"Haha, Yizhen-ge's impression of me is still from more than ten years ago. Back then, I was a junior high school girl who could only wear skirts that covered my knees, so of course I wouldn't go drinking."

"...It's not really my fault."

Qingshan lowered his gaze and calmly sipped his hot tea.

“You don’t look much different from back then.”

Come to think of it, Hiroi Kikuri should be 26 years old now, but she still looks so thin and short, with a very youthful appearance.

Although his words and actions already make him look more like an older man than he does.

"Ugh—that's going too far. And wouldn't that be considered harassment? A high-ranking official in Tokyo harassing a female entertainer! If this gets out, it'll cause a huge uproar in society!"

"...What I just said is perfectly fine. Even if you record it and release it, it won't cause any misunderstanding."

Politicians always prioritize speaking in a way that leaves no room for criticism. Although Aoyama's words had a physical implication, they were more likely to be interpreted as mere politeness in a conversation between long-lost friends.

"Besides, you've been playing the bass the whole time, so even if you were recording, you probably wouldn't have recorded anything."

"What a cunning politician! Give me back the honest and upright Yi-zhen from back then."

"Ahem, my behavior is already considered one of the most straightforward among politicians."

During the conversation, Kikuri Hiroi's impromptu solo performance came to an end.

She put down her bass and ran behind the speakers, out of Aoyama's sight, picked up a bottle of Daiginjo sake, and began to drink heartily.

Make way for me: 005 The Road to Rock, Reboot?!

"Don't drink too much and become unable to walk, ending up stranded here."

Aoyama gave Hiroi Kikuri a friendly reminder.

"Of course I didn't drink too much. Ah Bai only took this one bottle of clear water."

"Just enough wine to rinse my mouth. Pfft, ha, this wonderful aroma is absolutely captivating."

Hiroi Kikuri, of course, didn't care at all; her love for alcohol had reached the point where she didn't want to be without it for even a day.

"Of course, that's a Daiginjo sake specially made by Professor Keizo of the Corn Department. Only about forty bottles are produced each year. If it were sold at an auction, it could fetch a price comparable to a car..."

Suzumiya Hyakubi explained with some heartache that he, like Hiroi Kikuri, understood the preciousness of this bottle of sake and urged them not to drink it so recklessly.

"...I never expected you to be so generous, Ah Bai."

Aoyama glanced at Suzumiya with disdain.

I think you just wanted to show off your success in front of your old acquaintances (two people of the opposite sex), right? But you didn't expect them to be such a heavy drinker, and you felt that showing off was too costly, so you started to make up for it.

"...I never expected Kikuri to have such a huge capacity for alcohol."

Suzumiya Hyakubi shook his head and sighed.

Qingshan shook his head and stopped mocking him.

Suzumiya Hyakubi is the kind of person who gets easily carried away by passion. If he felt that reuniting with Hiroi and Ijichi after more than ten years was something so wonderful that it deserved to be celebrated with the most delicious sake, he would definitely do so without hesitation.

Speaking of which, this bottle of Daiginjo was a gift from Professor Itsuki because of his friendship with Professor Aoyama. Apparently, Professor Aoyama sent Professor Itsuki a rare strain of fungus from southern France, which allowed one of his doctoral students to successfully complete an important research project.

"Alright, now that we've sung and drunk, let's get down to business."

Aoyama adjusted his posture on the sofa to make himself more comfortable. He had been maintaining a shrewd and capable image all day, keeping his head up and chest out. Now that he was back in his private space, he naturally wanted to relax.

There were no electronic devices in the lounge where he was supposed to "pay back a hundredfold" that could transmit data to the outside world, so he didn't have to worry about his indecent behavior here tarnishing his public image.

"Gentlemen, did you come all this way to see me today because you need my help? If it's about money, you can just tell Ah Bai."

"Money is nothing to do with money! That kind of thing is completely unimportant!"

Hiroi Kikuri slammed the bottle of Daiginjo sake onto the floor, interrupting Aoyama's words with a loud "bang."

"We've come to you for only one purpose, and that is music!"

"music?"

"To be precise, it's rock. I hope you can join my band, just like twelve years ago, as the drummer and lead singer."

"What……"

Aoyama was immediately taken aback.

Over the years, many people have gone to great lengths to meet him, and some have even paid unimaginable prices for a chance to meet him privately.

These people all needed his help, hoping to gain wealth, honor, fame and power from him, or wanting to meet more valuable people through him.

Some people tried to please him by giving him handcrafted musical instruments, or by inviting him to give private musical instruction to their adopted/biological daughters (because Aoyama was known for his aversion to women, some also asked him to instruct their sons/adopted sons), or by helping him publish books and build his image as a classical music master.

But even for these latter two types of people, Aoyama is seen as either a teacher who got married after receiving flyers or a musical instrument master who transcends the stage—at least on the surface, no one would really want to invite him to perform on stage.

Moreover, rock music is a genre whose position on the social hierarchy is quite controversial.

After all, being "controversial" is a major taboo for Japanese politicians. Being close to the people or having a long-term vision is better than this. Being caught between two sides means that both sides will oppose you. If a politician or his proposed bill is called "controversial," then he is not far from stepping down. Of course, there is something even worse, which is being "bold and decisive." If a politician is praised as "bold and decisive," then he will not only step down, but may also go to jail.

In short, Hiroi Kikuri's request was so outrageous that it went beyond a joke and made people think she was serious.

"...Are you serious? You went to all that trouble to come see me just to make a request that I can't possibly agree to?"

"Hmm? That's strange, but I feel like you're quite likely to agree."

“I think you’re really out of your mind.” Aoyama shook his head. He was already regretting meeting Hiroi Kikuri and Iji Tomoka tonight. “I have a problem too… I actually believed that a drunkard who was staggering around could say anything serious.”

"I might be a little drunk, but when it comes to rock and roll, the more drunk I get, the more serious I become."

The moment she finished speaking, Hiroi Kikuri's eyes sharpened, but she immediately regained her drunken state.

Aoyama noticed this, but he didn't take it to heart. Instead, he turned to talk to Ijichi Seika, who was still sober and seemed more reliable.

“Idizhi, this drunkard came with you, so you’re in charge of taking care of her.”

Although Aoyama had no intention of targeting her, the imposing aura he had cultivated over his long years in a position of power still put her under considerable pressure.

Ijichi Hoshika hesitated slightly, but still stood firmly on Hiroi's side.

"Um, Aoyama-kun, if it's alright, could you please listen to what Kikuri has to say? Although she's a little drunk, her invitation just now wasn't just a joke."

She was starting to regret not drinking more with Kikuri Hiroi earlier; if she had gotten drunk, she wouldn't be suffering like this now.

“Okay… even if she’s serious,” Aoyama’s attitude softened a bit when facing Ijichi Seika, “my current situation isn’t really suitable for me to be in a band anymore, is it?”

Even being in a band is more suitable than being in a band.

"Come on, Yi-zhen, we're just forming a band, not running for president. Why should we care about our status?"

Hiroi Kikuri laughed beside her, as if she had heard something very funny.

Come to think of it, if Hiroi really cared about his identity, he wouldn't have come over to make such an outrageous request. In fact, for someone who truly has a "rock and roll heart," "identity" is a "barrier" that should be broken down.

"That being said... but if I were to actually go on stage to perform, I'm afraid it would cause a huge uproar, right? And by then, the audience coming to see the show probably wouldn't be there for rock music."

"That is a problem. I don't want my audience to be replaced by a group of people with ulterior motives..." Hiroi Kikuri frowned, which was rare for her. "Senior, do you have any ideas?"

"I have long been ready."

Ichi Seika retreated behind the audio control panel, fiddled with it for a while, and then pulled out a paper bag from somewhere.

Make way for me: 006 My body language tells a lot.

"Wait, wait a minute!"

Caught off guard, a paper bag was suddenly placed over Aoyama's head.

There was a subtle fragrance in the paper bag, which smelled a little hot... Was it a paper bag used to store underwear?

Is this how you test your cadres?!

"I said, Suzumiya's complete preparations?"

"Yes, young master! Please give your orders!"

"You saw me being attacked and didn't even try to help? If you were a public official in Tokyo Prefecture..."

"Employee, I've already deducted all of your bonus for this year!"

Aoyama's face, hidden inside the paper bag, was slightly darkened.

"I think it's quite good. Even with a paper bag on your head, Young Master, it doesn't affect your outstanding temperament. On the contrary, it adds a touch of mystery. I think if you were to stand on the stage, you would definitely be able to conquer thousands of girls with your graceful demeanor."

"Your flattery won't work! You'd better be ready to get a beating after Hiroi and Iji leave."

"Ah this..."

Suzumiya Hyakubi's lips twitched twice before she awkwardly stepped forward and pulled away Ijichi Hoshika, who was using all her strength to hold Aoyama down by the paper bag on his head.

When it comes to fighting, he's no match for Aoki.

Despite his gentle and intellectual public image over the years, Aoki Mukai once performed a remarkable feat in his youth, beating the entire direct line of the Tojo Clan, the largest yakuza organization in Kanto at the time, to the point of vomiting blood, while only suffering minor injuries himself.

Actually, it wouldn't be a big deal if it were just getting beaten up. After all, under the tutelage of his adoptive father, Suzumiya Takumi, Hyakubi's ability to withstand beatings had already reached a level of perfection. Even if he was beaten until his head was bleeding, he could be fine again after two days of IV fluids. But the problem was that every time Aoyama Xiang beat him until he couldn't get up, he would do something embarrassing for him.

For example, the huge afro on his head was permed by Aoyama, and after the perm, he wasn't allowed to cut it off or perm it back.

"I'm sorry, Sister Xingge, what you did was indeed a bit impolite to the young master."

"You really do listen to Mr. Yoshima as always."

After struggling for a few moments, Ijichi Hoshika realized that Suzumiya Hyakubi was incredibly strong, so she had no choice but to give up.

Aoyama took the paper bag off his head, turned it over, and saw that there were eye shapes drawn on the paper bag with a marker—they were drawn a little crooked, looking a bit like a "funny" expression.

This made him want to laugh a little.

"Where did you all learn all this?"

While a paper bag over the head can conceal one's identity, wouldn't it be too easy for it to fall off during a vigorous rock performance?

“I learned it from a friend of my sister’s,” Ichika Hoshika’s eyes suddenly gleamed with anticipation. “A very talented child, but not very good at interacting with others, so she often uses cardboard boxes to hide herself…”

She smiled and tilted her head. "I thought this experience could be applied to you too, so I brought a paper bag with me."

"Hmm, your sister, is it Hongxia?"

Aoyama recalled for a while before remembering the little one who would run over and hug his legs.

"Speaking of which, Hongxia is also practicing the drums now. Although she doesn't remember you very well now, I think her choice to become a drummer is still related to you."

"That little one is starting to play rock music now."

"Yes, just like us back then, Nijika is now an outstanding high school girl."

High school girl...

Upon hearing this word, Aoyama couldn't help but think of some dark secrets in the political world, but he immediately cleared the relevant images from his mind.

"Unfortunately, I haven't played the drums seriously for many years, let alone rock music. You've really come to the wrong person by asking me to form a band."

Aoki said.

Although reminiscing about the past stirred his emotions, he still intended to end the topic.

While he can't be said to have completely given up on his music career, it would be far too unrealistic to expect him to return to the stage to perform.

"Liar!"

Hiroi Kikuri suddenly rushed over and grabbed Aoki Muto's hand.

“The calluses on your hands and the dexterity of your wrists are something that someone who doesn’t play an instrument would never have. And when I was playing the guitar just now, your body trembled with the rhythm, didn’t it? It’s not the kind of tapping motion that just anyone with a sense of rhythm can do; it’s the muscle memory that only someone who has studied a particular instrument for many years can develop under the influence of precise pitch.”

Who exactly invented the great concept of "muscle memory"?