I was the fourth disaster in Yokohama and was loved by everyone.

After seeing that Ah-Dai-Niao had put the person down, the PR officer smiled and greeted Zhu Yu. It had been almost a week since the last protection mission ended.

"Hello, PR officer's wife." She nodded solemnly.

"..."

"..."

Everyone present:? ? ?

The word "wife" wasn't loud, but it was like an unavoidable bullet, striking the lively air unexpectedly.

The entire room fell into a deathly silence.

The surgeon slammed his glass down on the bar: "So..."

He looked around at everyone.

"Did we just hear something wrong?"

Chuuya Nakahara was greeting his friends when he heard the familiar word "wife" and froze on the spot. He subconsciously turned his face away and pretended nothing had happened.

There's no way to reason with them; they won't listen, and hitting them... how could I possibly lay a hand on my own comrade?

After being brainwashed by countless calls of "wife," Chuuya Nakahara has begun to comfort himself—anyway, he only calls her that to a few people, and he doesn't call her that to just anyone, so it's fine.

"...Has the PR officer finally lost all sense of decency in the entertainment industry and started preying on minors?" Leng Xue's gaze sharpened as he scrutinized the PR officer from head to toe.

"Hahahaha, how terrifying!" This is the silly bird who knows the truth but is just watching the show.

The PR officer whose reputation has been damaged: "...No, please let me explain."

Then, the public relations officer mustered his spirits and successfully demonstrated his superb oratory skills, explaining the cause and effect in a relatively tactful way.

Calling someone "wife" is just a personal hobby; he hasn't gone so far as to prey on underage girls, so please don't look at him like he's a scumbag.

A player who had been secretly loitering in a corner, secretly collecting items, noticed several NPCs huddled together and whispering amongst themselves, and couldn't understand why.

After the explanation was successfully completed, the atmosphere in the bar returned to a relaxed state.

Various bottles of liquor were displayed on the bar, their glass reflecting colorful light, and a faint aroma of alcohol filled the air.

In the corner were several pool tables, with neatly arranged pool balls on the smooth surface and cues leaning to one side, as if quietly waiting for someone to come and swing.

Zhong Ye, who had been watching Zhu Yu's movements, noticed her staring blankly at the pool table and offered, "Want to give it a try?"

"it is good!"

Zhongye led Zhu Yu to the nearest pool table and began patiently explaining the basic rules and techniques of billiards.

As he explained, he picked up a golf club and demonstrated the correct grip.

As he explained, the game system automatically loaded a simplified module, turning the originally technically demanding game of billiards into a mini-game with built-in guide lines and simulated routes, making it much easier for players to simply follow the system prompts.

Of course, if you feel that the simplified modules in the game affect the gaming experience, you can turn off the "Simplify" command and enjoy an immersive billiards experience.

Zhu Yu doesn't want to play in a game—"Simulation 100%: The Road to Becoming a Billiards Master from Scratch"

Playing the simplified version is enough.

Chuuya stood beside the pool table, dutifully adjusting Zhu Yu's posture: "Relax your wrist, like this..."

He moved a little closer from where he was initially quite far away and gently adjusted her wrist with his fingertips.

The moment he got close, his breath brushed past her ear, and a faint smell of gunpowder wafted from him, mixed with the fresh scent of white tea—it was the shampoo she had given him before. This shampoo was a hair-growth product; he had been working overtime every night during that period and had complained that his hair was thinning.

Although he complained that the smell was not mafia-like when I gave it to him, it seems he is using it now!

Zhu Yu discovered the game's Easter egg and was in a good mood. She absentmindedly hummed in agreement, but what she was thinking was: Chuuya smells so good.

"Alright, give it a try." Nakahara Chuuya took a step back, looking at Zhu Yu's perfect pose with satisfaction.

She was momentarily distracted upon hearing the instruction, and instinctively released the cue stick—

Chapter 76 Objection Invalid? Perhaps Effective

The cue ball crashed violently against the edge of the pool table, bounced at an unusual angle, and flew off the table at an astonishing speed, tracing an irregular arc in the air.

It flew straight toward the next table, where the silly bird and the public relations officer were focused on playing ball, completely unaware of the unexpected event.

The white ball collided squarely with a red ball on the next table, and with a "thud," the red ball fell cleanly into the hole.

Just as he was about to take his shot, he noticed an extra white ball on the table: ? ? ?

A dazed bird stood up, stunned: "How did I score a goal before I even moved?"

The PR officer covered her face and chuckled: "...Yes, because your off-site support has arrived."

Ah-Dai-Niao looked at the ball and then at Zhu Yu, finally unable to hold back, he slapped the table and laughed loudly: "Hahahaha! [Kawakami]-san is exceptionally talented. Most people can only play the ball on their own table, but you can score by playing the ball on other people's tables!"

"So, can I say I got a point?" He turned to look at the public relations officer expectantly.

The PR representative smiled and declined, saying, "No, that's not possible."

The silly bird didn't take the rejection to heart. Instead, looking at the extra white ball on the table, he had a "brilliant" idea: "I think ordinary billiards matches can no longer show our strength. Should we start scoring based on hitting the balls at the next table from now on?"

Chuuya said with a blank face: "...No way, if you're going to play pool, then play properly!"

"Do you want billiards to gradually turn into something like our old motorcycle races?" In the end, it will devolve into a battle of superpowers... Please stop with the bizarre innovations in the rules!

Adobird clearly hadn't forgotten that "unique" motorcycle race from before, and awkwardly rubbed his nose. If supernatural abilities were really added to billiards, then his chances of winning would be even slimmer.

So the silly bird shut up.

One of the culprits who sparked the controversy silently raised his right hand: "I object, it's clearly very interesting."

"...Objection overruled." The three said in unison.

Zhu Yu: QAQ

Feeling a little uncomfortable under her gaze, Chuuya turned his face away.

The music and conversations became background noise; he could only hear the pounding of his own heart. The thumping sound was like the drumbeats of his inner struggle, one after another, making him restless and agitated.

"If you really want to... playing a few rounds privately is not out of the question."

He heard himself say those words uncontrollably.

...Damn it, this is the last time!

He could even feel his ears burning, like a silent accusation, accusing his willpower of always crumbling under the pitiful gaze of the other person.

"Yay—" Zhu Yu jumped up and down, circled around Zhong Ye a few times, and then pulled him back to continue playing billiards.

—Of course, this time we're playing normal billiards without any special abilities.

Fortunately, Zhu Yu didn't lose focus this time and didn't "attack the next table" again, competing with Zhong Ye in a proper and orderly manner.

The two were in a harmonious atmosphere, and their interactions had long been observed by the members of the Flag Association who were secretly watching their relationship.

The pianist exchanged a meaningful glance with the others and nodded slightly.

The others glanced at the two from a distance, seemed to ponder for a moment, and returned the pianist an affirming look.

The two were unaware of the eye contact exchanged between the five members of the Flag Society. The bar lights, like melting amber, enveloped their figures in a warm cocoon.

The gentle atmosphere was a welcome respite, as if the stench of the mafia life of the past had vanished, and every breath held the quiet wonder of the ordinary.

—Until Chuuya Nakahara's phone vibrated rapidly on the table.

A mission has arrived.

His expression turned serious the moment he saw the message.

"I'm sorry, I have an urgent mission, so this round has to end here." He looked at Zhu Yu apologetically, his tone tinged with anxiety.

One of the Port Mafia's weapons depots has been attacked by members of a rival organization, and he must rush there to provide support.

"Go quickly, Chuuya. Do you want me to come along?" Zhu Yu tried to trigger the mission to assist in the operation.

"No need." Chuuya Nakahara pulled the black coat off the back of the chair with one hand, the fabric whipping through the air in a sharp arc, like the wings of a night hawk.

"Have fun."

He strode towards the door, a smile playing on his lips, an eyebrow raised, his eyes sparkling like shattered stars, flamboyant and sharp.

"I can handle this all by myself."

The night outside was deep, and he swiftly disappeared into the darkness, like a sharp sword drawn from its sheath, even the moonlight had to give way to him.

Zhu Yu stared blankly in the direction Chuuya had left, and exclaimed in surprise, "Wow, players should leave in such a cool way next time!"

"Chūya is always so efficient and efficient when he goes on missions."

The sound came from behind.

The pianist, dressed in black and white, twirled the wine glass in his hand, the ice puck striking the glass with a crisp sound.

A half-exposed thread reel containing piano wire peeked out from his cuff: "Ms. Kawakami and Chuuya were good friends before they joined the Port Mafia, weren't they?"

Seeing her nod, he continued, "Speaking of which, it was quite surprising when I heard that 'King of the Sheep' had joined the Port Mafia. The leader of a rival organization turned around and joined the Port Mafia; everyone was wondering when he would betray us..."

"The Boss initially invited him to the Flag Society so that we could monitor him to see if he was doing anything wrong. Once he gets what he wants, he might show his fangs."

Here it comes, long stretches of NPC dialogue. Is this about to trigger a new quest?

Zhu Yu cheered up.

"Ms. Kawakami knows, right? The reason Chuuya joined the Port Mafia was to investigate his background."

Zhu Yu recalled the scene when Chuuya joined the Port Mafia...

Oh no, I have absolutely no recollection of what happened in the plot!

She frowned and nodded seriously: "Yes, I didn't expect you to know too." Very well, now the players know too.

"Then you should know what he's been investigating—"

“Huangba Tu.” Zhu Yu readily replied. She knew about it, after all, the [Investigate Huangba Tu] quest had appeared as a main quest, and she and Zhong had spent a lot of time gathering information to complete it.

As the words fell, the PR officer's lips relaxed almost imperceptibly.

It wasn't a smile, but a natural calming down after tension, like finally confirming that a safety bolt had been fastened.

He suspected that he was merely storing an artificial personality of "Araba-to"... He had been working hard on missions so that one day he could be promoted to an officer and openly access information related to "Araba-to". Even though he was being promoted very quickly, it would still take him at least several more years to become an officer.

He said in a low voice, his tone like sandpaper rubbing silk, very light but with a strong presence: "In that case, he may be troubled by his background for a long time."

"—If you were asked to disobey the leader's orders for Chuuya's sake, would you do it?"

The conversation abruptly shifted, and his hand, which had been swirling the wine glass, suddenly stopped. The pause was subtle, like a chess player finally allowing himself to breathe after confirming his opponent's move.

His eyes were fixed on Zhu Yu, and his blinks revealed a scrutinizing gaze, not missing any expression on her face.

[What would you say in response to the pianist's question?]

Chapter 77 The Crime Doesn't Deserve This

A chuckled and pulled a red scarf from her backpack, tying it on: "The Boss role rotates, next year it's my turn. If I become the Boss, it won't be considered disobeying orders."

B. Agree on the surface, but then secretly report to your boss, Mori Ougai, that the members of the Flag Association have ulterior motives.

C. Seeking to protect himself and not wanting to get involved: "I'm sorry, I have elderly parents and young children to support. Please understand the difficulties of someone trying to make a living."

...None of these three options seem quite right (thinking)

Zhu Yu quickly made a judgment: The pianist NPC is obviously someone who can trigger a quest, so in that case, we definitely can't betray them!

I decisively chose A, and in front of them, I went through the steps required for each option, not forgetting to quietly add, "So, are we going to usurp the throne now?"

Although she didn't care, they seemed to be in a hurry.

Unbeknownst to her, the moment her voice fell, the entire room seemed to be paused.

The air seemed to freeze, like a piece of transparent amber, freezing everyone present in a moment of astonishment. Champagne bubbles hovered on the glass, cigarette smoke lingered in mid-air, and only the background music continued its unrestrained, melodious, and soothing tune.

When they came to their senses, they realized that their backs were completely soaked in cold sweat.

Ah-Dai-Niao quickly looked around and breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, they had booked the entire "Old World" billiards bar for the night, and there was no one else inside except them. Even the waiters had been sent away, which prevented outsiders from hearing their "outrageous" words.

Although Chief Mori is not as ruthless as his predecessor, he would not hesitate to use his ruthless methods to demonstrate his authority upon hearing his subordinates' plot to usurp the throne.