The only player in the world of Bleach

in other words.

Even if you want to be a lackey for an upper-class family, everyone has to fight for it, right?

Realizing this, Matsushita Yusuke shook his head with a sigh, finding the world truly strange...

Feudalism is unacceptable!

"Furthermore, none of the attendees at this banquet are true nobles. Lord Yoruichi enjoys socializing and getting to know people from lower social classes... so this isn't really a New Year's banquet in the strictest sense."

Hey~

That makes it clear.

Yoruichi is probably here to mine and scout for talent again...

After figuring out the logic behind it, Matsushita Yusuke composed himself and watched as Nozomi Shinnosuke took his seat in the distance.

He had originally planned to go over and say hello.

But this senior was immediately surrounded by other nobles, who swarmed around him.

"Don't go and join the fun. hope Zhijin is a hot commodity in the eyes of these low-ranking nobles. Many people want to get close to him."

The hierarchy among the nobility was distinct, and each member had their own clearly defined purpose. Even the smallest resources acquired would be quickly divided up and exhausted by the nobles…

This system has always been top-down.

The most prestigious families receive the greatest share first, followed by the subordinate nobles, and then the order continues.

"So if you don't have any backing or anything to rely on, it's extremely difficult for some people just to maintain a decent appearance."

Some things are impossible to understand if they aren't said honestly. Now, thanks to Soi Fon's reminder, Matsushita Yusuke has also gained a lot of useless knowledge.

"So, does that mean if these people establish a relationship with hope Zhijin, they can obtain more resources?"

Soi Fon brought two ceramic cups, poured hot water into them, and gave one to Matsushita Yusuke.

"Yes, although we are all nominally lower-ranking nobles, because we are close to Lord Yoruichi, we can obtain much more resources than other nobles."

As soon as he finished speaking, the gate in the distance opened again.

Dressed in night clothes and simply attire, Yoruichi Shihouin entered with a smile, waving to the guests around her in thanks.

It was less of a banquet and more of a personal gathering for this bigwig.

After all, Yoruichi didn't even have a proper outfit.

That's wonderful... For someone like that, life must be a 'creative mode'.

After all, this guy has Kisuke Urahara by his side, who has seen the world. The two of them are inseparable all the time, so the three realms are basically no different from passing through a game for them.

By the way, speaking of Kisuke Urahara...

That guy didn't show up today.

Is it because the captain is quite busy with some tasks?

Matsushita Yusuke remembered that the guy's background wasn't particularly outstanding, but after becoming the director of the Technology Development Bureau and the captain of the Twelfth Division, his status was basically equivalent to that of a high-ranking nobleman.

The system here seems quite complex; if he has the time, Yusuke Matsushita will have to take some time to learn about it.

Closer to home.

As Yoruichi took her seat, raised her glass, and addressed the guests, Matsushita Yusuke saw the familiar prompt in his mind.

Yoruichi Shihouin's personal cocktail party

[Introduction: Some people are born with everything, while others have nothing... This world is inherently unfair, so if you want something, you have to take it yourself. This is a rare opportunity; try building your network to lay the groundwork for future development.]

[Reward: Social Skills +5]

It's clear that the task itself isn't particularly valuable, and the rewards are mostly related to daily life.

But what Matsushita Yusuke cared about was the content in the introduction.

'If you want something, you have to come and get it yourself...'

Why am I hearing a series of incomprehensible drumbeats? (No)

Of course, the most important part is the latter. Is he trying to build his own network of contacts...?

Yusuke Matsushita looked thoughtfully at Yoruichi Shihouin on the stage, who was clinking glasses with someone and showing a cheerful smile.

His background was indeed ordinary, unlike those nobles. If he wanted to make progress, he would have to lay some groundwork first.

Even someone like Aizen, the King of the Underworld, had to set up two undercover agents, Tosen and Gin, to accumulate strength before launching his rebellion. He only took action after achieving some success.

If Matsushita Yusuke wants to accomplish something big, he naturally has to find a way to put some effort into this area.

He took a thoughtful sip of his drink, but was interrupted by a noise from beside him.

Turning her head, she saw Soi Fon raising her cup and looking at Matsushita Yusuke with a half-smile.

"A rare opportunity, how about a drink?"

"Sure, but what's your drinking behavior like? Don't start causing trouble after just a couple of sips, I can't handle that..."

"Ha! That's much better than you think! During my training, I even had tests similar to alcohol tolerance, and I did very well!"

Upon hearing this, Matsushita Yusuke's expression was quite disdainful.

What a third-rate test...

Do you have a sweet drink brewed by Aizen Sousuke himself?

"I hope your mouth is as tough as your alcohol tolerance."

"Then let's give it a try!"

The two clinked glasses, looked at each other, and smiled.

At the same time... Matsushita Yusuke and Soi Fon were completely immersed in the banquet, with no further thoughts.

……

The next day.

Pressing his slightly throbbing temples, Yusuke Matsushita shakily got up from his bed in the dormitory.

Although I didn't drink to the point of blacking out last night, I still felt a bit hungover.

Uh……

While brushing his teeth, Yusuke Matsushita couldn't help but gag.

want to vomit.

057: First Meeting

Yusuke Matsushita leaned over the edge of the sink and dry heaved for a while before he recovered.

He let out a soft breath, washed his face, and looked at his slightly sunken eye sockets, his expression quite wistful.

People really shouldn't stay up late.

After just two nights, my eyes are already a bit puffy...

As for what happened last night, there wasn't anything scandalous about it.

After Yusuke Matsushita and Soi Fon had drunk a little too much, the latter showed a very wary expression.

"That's enough for me today, I can't drink anymore."

She covered the rim of the cup, her cheeks slightly flushed, turned her head to the side, and swallowed.

You could tell she was a little tipsy too.

"When men and women who have had too much to drink get together, it's easy for some unclear things to happen... so this is enough for me."

Also.

"Stay away from me, don't sit too close."

They are quite vigilant, the kind of person whose parents wouldn't worry even if they went out to eat with friends.

But it wasn't entirely unexpected.

Because whether it was during their detailed conversation or their casual exchanges earlier, Matsushita Yusuke had a pretty good understanding of Soi Fon's values.

She takes anything related to work very seriously.

There are also many subtle details to pay attention to in daily life.

Aside from having a slightly bad temper and a tendency to yell when she gets angry, Soi Fon's upbringing can be described as 'good'.

She even seems overly naive when it comes to relationships, and her current conservative attitude is her bottom line.

Oh dear, is she still an innocent girl? This is quite a contrast...

To be honest, Matsushita Yusuke didn't have any particular thoughts about her. After all, at most, he only had a slight liking for her.

The reason I feel this way now is simply because I had just had a drinking contest with Aizen the day before yesterday, but I couldn't enjoy myself to the fullest today, which is a bit of a dilemma.

Just then, hope Zhijin approached with a smile from afar.

"Matsushita-kun! Stop drinking alone with these boring guys! Come over here, let's drink from the big jugs!"

Normally, hope Zhijin is extremely tactful and would never say something so offensive.

It was obvious that he was drunk too.

Soi Fon didn't seem to care much, just smiled and ignored it. Matsushita Yusuke glanced at it, then picked up his sake bottle and went over.

—It's much more lively over there!

Of course, the drinking was enjoyable, but it also came at a price.

Yusuke Matsushita remembered that Soi Fon helped him get back.

I never expected that I would have to ask others for help in the end. It's truly astonishing...

With a gentle shake of his head, Matsushita Yusuke returned to bed, taking a breather during a nap with his eyes closed.

After he had fully recovered, it was almost noon. Matsushita Yusuke got up, went to the cafeteria to replenish his energy, and then left through the gates of the Spirit Arts Academy.

He headed straight for the Fifth Division's headquarters.

As mentioned before, the Gotei 13 also have their own distinct duties and specific responsibilities.

Therefore, each squad's location is clearly distinct, and the Fifth Squad is located at the border between the commoners' district and the nobles' district.

Located in the northeast corner of Seireitei, it is a relatively remote place.

Yusuke Matsushita approached the guard at the entrance, greeted him from afar, and then went up to him.

"Excuse me, I'm looking for Lieutenant Aizen... Is he in?"

"Wait a moment, let me check."

The latter smiled and nodded, asking his colleague to wait at the entrance for a moment while he turned back to report.

The Fifth Division has an unexpectedly high level of friendliness.

In fact, the characteristics and differences between the various squads are often discussed within the Shinigami Academy.

Among them, the Fifth Division is the type with relatively little information... This is understandable, since as a 'support team', it not only lacks distinctive features, but also has a very small number of volunteer students each year.

According to Aizen Sousuke, sometimes even the First Division needed to make adjustments, transferring in other unqualified or even non-volunteer personnel.

Of course, this situation is relatively rare.

But this is enough to show that there is a serious problem with the 'student pool'.

With these random thoughts running through his mind, Matsushita Yusuke took the opportunity to look around at the members of the Fifth Division.

"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. Lieutenant Aizen is inside... Let me take you in."

"That's troublesome..."

Since the time had been arranged with Aizen Sousuke in advance, the procedures themselves were not complicated.

Once inside the Fifth Division, the area became noticeably larger.

The first thing you see is the courtyard...

It's not a large-scale operation.

It's not even as good as Yoruichi Shihouin's private territory.