thefictionvixens Page 89
Page 89
On the contrary, Hoshiguma and her group's plan has only just begun, and many things are in chaos. For Anzo, who knows that something is wrong, it is an extremely high-risk option with a lot of uncertainties. One wrong move and he could lose his life.
Hoshiguma couldn't understand what Anso was thinking. The other party had always acted as if he valued his life and wanted to play it safe, hadn't he?
She looked down intently at An Suo, waiting for her answer.
An Suo took a deep breath, a signature playful smile spreading across her face, but a hint of bitterness flashed in her eyes. "The reason is simple: it's safer here."
PS:
Today I was looking into Hedgehog Cat's Arknights books, hoping to learn from the senior author, but I came across an outrageous author who has updated his book to over 9000000 words and is still updating with *Chinese profanity*!
Wow, this is eye-opening! The last time I saw such a long article was in an old male-oriented book. O_o
Volume 2: Fireworks at Lungmen: Chapter 157 Hoshiguma: The secret solution is solved. Yun Yi: Next, Minerva...
"...Why do you think so?" Hoshiguma's gaze swept over Anso, her eyes revealing a hint of inquiry.
Safety? In front of the projector, Yun Yi rested his chin on his hand and touched his chin. Could it be that because he was frightened by her last time, he suddenly felt safe?
An Suo's subsequent words confirmed Yun Yi's guess: "I can't be sure how far that gang has infiltrated. I might get a decent reward by going to the Guard Bureau, but I'll definitely be targeted by the gang. They'll want to get rid of me as soon as possible."
"And that person is the most terrifying person I've ever met, yet he's willing to give everyone top-quality potions and jobs for free—I believe that if I become his official subordinate, he won't stand idly by." An Suo shook the rabbit's ears, his face full of sincere trust.
There was something she didn't say: when she faced that being, she secretly felt that she wasn't facing a person, but a god, the entire earth.
Even the most colossal creature she had ever seen, Lungmen, did not exert the same oppressive aura as that one.
Therefore, An Suo firmly believed that no matter how deeply entrenched or powerful the gang that captured her was, they would inevitably be as fragile as paper and easily defeated by someone like her.
She didn't expect the person, who was either the boss or a guest, to intervene, but she believed that by becoming an employee and increasing her desire, the chances of receiving that person's protection were high.
After all, that person not only takes care of others in action, but is also an accomplice of Inspector Xing. Inspector Xing is someone she personally certified as a well-known, kind-hearted person with a good eye for people!
"I don't ask for anything else, just to live. All things considered, joining here gives me a higher chance of survival, doesn't it?" That's how An Suo finally concluded.
Is it safe from this angle? Oh, I see.
Hoshiguma nodded thoughtfully, her gaze softening and the oppressive aura emanating from her lessening slightly. "I understand. Thank you for the information. So, what is your wish as a temporary worker? By the way, as long as you don't choose to leave, you'll join us here. There's no need to make any wishes in this regard."
Does this mean I've passed the test? If I pass, can I just ask about my wish?
Hoshiguma's quick change of topic caught Anso off guard. She clenched her fingers tightly and secretly glanced at Hoshiguma's expression, only to find that the other had changed from an interrogative posture to a casual, smiling expression.
The atmosphere between the two relaxed, and it seemed that she had really passed the test. Hoshiguma was now just going through the motions and fulfilling that person's promise.
He let out a sigh of relief, not daring to delay, and solemnly expressed his wish, which he had carefully considered in his mind: "I want a job that is safe and whose salary matches my abilities."
Yun Yi scratched his face, his lips slightly upturned. "So, living is really his top priority, huh? Good. This wish is simple. Just arrange for him to stay on the Nirvana and not leave the ship. Absolutely safe."
A glint flashed in Hoshiguma's golden eyes. She smiled and bent down slightly to lift Hannya up. "Your wishes have been received. We will give you a unified reply later."
That's a good idea. This way, even if An Suo joins them, his safety will be guaranteed.
What? We have to wait? Upon hearing this, An Suo's eyes widened. Reluctantly, he got up from the sofa, walked to the now calm Hoshiguma, and boldly poked at Hannya's shield. "Eh? Can't Hoshiguma tell me now?"
"We must follow the rules. Besides, I don't know either." Hoshiguma shook her head. She wasn't the one making the decisions. She would have to find a secluded place and see what Yun Yi had to say.
"Alright, I still have two people to meet. You continue to rest, I'll be going now." With the lack of intelligence and the safety of acquaintances properly resolved, Hoshiguma was in a good mood.
She waved her hand, said politely that An Suo should do as he pleased, then turned around, opened the door, stepped through the doorway, and prepared to leave.
"Just a moment! Sir, your order hasn't arrived yet." An Su quickly caught up, pressing the call bell by the door as he spoke. "I'll check on it—oh? Sir, you're in luck!"
Her rabbit ears twitched slightly as she listened to the sound of rollers sliding across the wooden floor of the hallway outside. She raised an eyebrow and said, "The food is just arriving, Mr. Xing. Why don't you eat before you go?"
"No, please pack my portion." Hoshiguma refused decisively.
She's already wasted too much time here, so she needs to speed things up to make sure she finishes the task before the young lady and Old Chen return, to avoid getting stuck on the next step.
As for the food? It'll be the same whether you see it on the way.
As the two were talking, Xiao Zhao pushed a cobbled-together metal food cart into the corridor where they were.
He looked up and saw Hoshiguma's golden eyes sweeping over him. Startled, he shrank back and immediately sped up pushing the cart, quickly getting to the two of them.
Ignoring the strange behavior of the two who had been waiting for a long time to enter the private room and were chatting in the corridor, Xiao Zhao respectfully asked, "Guests, Sister An Suo, are all the dishes ready? I'll set them out for you right away?"
The reason the dishes were only delivered once they were all prepared was purely to subtly fulfill a previous personal request.
She enjoys the feeling of having a table full of food and devouring it all in one go.
Minerva and Conar, who were eating with her, found it convenient and quick, and Conar also found it enjoyable, so they never objected. The restaurant then subconsciously continued to do so this time (these were the only three people who had eaten here before).
"Put my portion out, and quickly pack the guest's portion." An Su waved his hand, glanced at Xiao Zhao who was stunned for a moment, and raised his chin to signal him to get started. "Hurry up."
"Okay, okay!" Coming to her senses, Xiao Zhao grinned sheepishly, immediately opened the drawer on the side of the food cart, took out the wooden box for packing, and carefully and efficiently packed up the dumplings and potato pancakes that Hoshiguma had ordered.
He then stuffed it into a roughly sewn cloth bag, his legs trembling, a little scared but his hands steady as he handed the bag to Hoshiguma, saying, "It's packed up, please!"
"Thank you," Hoshiguma replied succinctly. She took the cloth bag, waved goodbye to Ansou with the hand holding the bag, and strode out of the restaurant carrying Hannya.
This time, Ansuo didn't stop her. She quietly watched Hoshiguma leave, repeatedly considering the possibility of her wish coming true, but her expression was relatively relaxed.
At least, the existence of Star Sir itself already signifies a guarantee—having personally experienced gang kidnapping and possessing firsthand intelligence, her treatment with Star Sir, no matter how bad, wouldn't be too bad.
On the other side, Hoshiguma walked briskly out of the restaurant, through the corridor, and back to the elevator.
Under Yunyi's control, the elevator started running automatically as soon as Hoshiguma arrived, and the floor displayed on the screen quickly changed to the 5th floor where she was.
While waiting, Hoshiguma glanced around and asked into the air, "Is anyone nearby?"
Volume Two: Fireworks at Longmen: Chapter 158 Yun Yi: You dare tease me? I'll stuff all that dark stuff into your mouth later!
"No," Yun Yi replied lazily in front of the projector.
Her golden-red eyes reflected the figures of Hoshiguma and Minerva. "Minerva is waiting for you in the elevator area on the 22nd floor of Zone 4. Before that, she went to see Connar, but did not speak to him or pass on any information."
"Ha—that's quite cautious, but I don't mind if she tells you, it'll save you some trouble." Yun Yi yawned a few times; the part where An Suo gave a detailed account of the gang was too long, and she was a little sleepy afterward.
Although An Suo's words were relatively concise, and his tone was so emotionally charged that it sounded like he was reading a storybook, it was quite interesting.
But this cannot mask the fact that in order to reveal every piece of information he knew, An Suo filled in those details in a tedious, long and tedious manner.
Overall, it was truly agonizing.
Hoshiguma listened to Yun Yiqing's clear voice and yawn beside her, and smiled with her eyes crinkling. "If the other party is willing to stay, the more cautious the better—want to eat a spicy potato pancake to perk yourself up if you're sleepy?"
Oh right, her potato pancakes!
Yun Yi's spirits lifted, "Yes!"
“Then take them all. I don’t eat potato pancakes, but you can take one serving of dumplings too. One serving is enough for me.” Hoshiguma raised her arm and held up the cloth bag, which emitted a slight warmth and a rich aroma of food.
Just as Yun Yi was about to respond, the elevator doors made a crisp "ding" sound and silently slid open to both sides, revealing the elevator car that had arrived inside.
Hoshiguma immediately picked up the cloth bag, carried Hannya, and went inside.
Yun Yi waved her hand, and Hoshiguma's bag immediately visibly deflated, revealing two simple wooden boxes and a pair of wooden chopsticks in front of her.
Immediately afterwards, the aromas of chili, caramel, potato, freshness, and oil wafted from the box, intertwining to create a unique fragrance that reached Yunyi's nose, making her stomach itch and prompting her to urgently request a large number of residents to ward off evil spirits.
Yun Yi reached out and took the two wooden boxes floating in the air. She opened them one by one, and two palm-sized, crispy red potato pancakes and three rows of crescent-shaped, golden dumplings covered with a thin layer of salt came into view.
Come to think of it, since she transmigrated, she hasn't eaten anything other than fruit, and the only things she's drunk are super smooth milk tea and super hot water.
As Yun Yi pondered this, he picked up the chopsticks beside him, grabbed a crispy potato pancake, and took a bite.
With a soft "crunch," the crispy shell and soft mud fell onto Yunyi's taste buds, and she exhaled hot breath as she eagerly chewed a few bites.
The sweet mashed potatoes were squeezed out as the teeth pierced and crushed the outer skin, flowing more onto the tongue. The texture was firm yet smooth, and the spiciness hidden in the outer skin slowly spread out as the skin broke apart, washing away the greasiness of the pastry in the mouth. Yunyi felt that the more he chewed, the more fragrant it became. "Mmm, delicious!"
So it must be because this game body doesn't have the effect of hunger? In her previous life, she ate three meals a day without fail, and what she looked forward to most every day was what to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
In this world, if it weren't for seeing the words "potato pancakes" on the menu and recalling the deliciousness of the food, she would almost forget about eating.
Thinking about it this way, the body has quite a significant influence on consciousness.
Yunyi took another bite of the potato pancake. It was delicious and she loved it. Well, thankfully her sense of taste was normal, so it didn't affect her too much. She could still find enjoyment in food.
"Are you eating potato pancakes? Why don't you try some dumplings too? The salt-baked dumplings in Lungmen are generally quite good." Hoshiguma suggested with a smile as she listened to Yun Yi's movements and pressed "floor 22".
"Mmm, okay." Yun Yi swallowed the sticky, salty, and spicy deliciousness in his mouth, picked up his chopsticks and picked up the row of dumplings on the side. He randomly chose the one in the far right corner, picked it up, and threw it into his hungry mouth, taking a bite.
“However, I don’t know if the random filling I ordered will include fermented bean curd, offal, or some other mixed fillings.” Hoshiguma tapped the Hannya with her fingertip and smiled as Yun Yi took a bite. She then added, “It’s said that these types of fillings are quite ‘hard,’ and many people aren’t used to them.”
"!" What do you mean by "hard"? Isn't it just some kind of weird food?
Yun Yi was so frightened that his scalp tingled. His teeth, which had already been bitten down, and his slightly protruding tongue froze instantly, afraid to move, lest he experience some explosive taste.
But Yun Yi didn't move. The tiny bits of filling inside the dumpling, whose skin had already been bitten open, moved. They rolled down the sides of his teeth and landed on his taste buds, which were poised on his tongue.
Upon realizing this, Yun Yi thought he was about to experience a derogatory taste explosion, and his tongue trembled slightly. However, he found in the next second that the taste of those crumbs was not nauseating. On the contrary, the subtle salty and savory flavor was extremely appetizing.
Yun Yi raised an eyebrow and tried to continue chewing. The layered dumplings rolled and broke apart in her mouth until she swallowed them. There was nothing unpleasant about them. Even after she finished eating, the tempting aroma of the dumplings still lingered in her nose.
She then remembered that most of the weird dishes could actually be identified by their smell.
The smell of this box of dumplings was not mixed or murky; it was simply a combination of the aromas of dough, meat, oil, and scallions, ginger, and garlic, without any other suspicious ingredients.
And Hoshiguma, whose senses are far more acute than hers are now, could not possibly have missed these things.
Clearly, the other person was deliberately teasing her at the right moment.
"..." Realizing this, Yun Yi was speechless for a moment. Hoshiguma had this kind of wicked sense of humor?
You can try to amuse her, but don't scare her with food! She doesn't feel hungry to begin with; her appetite is entirely driven by instinct. What if she develops a phobia of food...?
Yun Yi couldn't help but squint and chuckle at Hoshiguma, who was grinning broadly in the projection, "Just wait, I'll send you a really 'hard' dish later."
"I'm looking forward to it." Hoshiguma replied with a smile that didn't change her expression. Jokes are supposed to be back and forth, and she was looking forward to Yun Yi's response.
"Is that so?" But Yun Yi misunderstood the real reason for Hoshiguma's calmness. She gritted her teeth. What did that mean? Did she think that she couldn't serve up a culinary disaster that could break her defenses?
Ha, a chef's ability to make terrible food is usually directly proportional to their culinary skills. Just wait, she'll send Hoshiguma an ultimate, invincible piece of terrible food later, guaranteed to make Hoshiguma scream with delight!
Yunyi rested his chin on his hand, trying to soothe himself through his imagination.
Her emotions quickly calmed down, and after eating a few more dumplings while swinging her chopsticks, the last bit of boiling emotion melted away under the delicious taste.
Yun Yi relaxed and turned his attention back to the matter at hand. "By the way, I think there's no problem with An Suo's wish. Do we still need to confirm it with Swire?"
Swire seemed to have said before that these were decisions she should make herself.
"The price of your wish is paid by you; you can decide for yourself." Hoshiguma also believed that Yunyi had the final say.
"Then grant her wish." Yun Yi made a vague decision while eating a potato pancake, then looked up at Minerva on the other side of the projection, a hint of curiosity in his eyes, "Hmm, what will Minerva wish for this time?"
Volume Two: Fireworks at Longmen: Chapter 159 Yun Yi: Huh? What's this thing?
“I guess it will be a bold wish.” Hoshiguma raised an eyebrow and smiled broadly.
“Bold… Chew, what’s the difference between this and not guessing at all? Chew, isn’t it rare to see someone like An Suo who makes wishes with such a down-to-earth attitude?” Yun Yi said while eating dumplings with a look of enjoyment on his face.
The blue glowing breathing light on her neck collar flashed at a noticeably faster frequency, reflecting her relaxed and joyful mood.
At this moment, the elevator display showed the 20th floor, and we were not far from reaching the 22nd floor.
Hoshiguma shrugged, a slight smile playing on her lips, hinting at something deeper. "A fake wish-granting opportunity might be like that, but with a real wish-granting opportunity, I think a smart person would rationally prefer to maximize the value of their wish, in other words, to be safe and feasible."
However, although the man named Minerva seemed intelligent at first glance, the way he looked at her was like that of a calm gambler.
"Cheer, maybe, it's hard to say. After all, these people are victims who were sent to the human auction. Whether it's hatred or love, there will be some."
Yun Yi swallowed the dumpling in his mouth and ate another one. "No matter how rational a person is, if they are driven by strong emotions, they may not be completely rational. I still think they are more likely to express their bold wishes, even if they may be rejected."
"Hmm, that's a good idea too." Hoshiguma responded, and couldn't help but chuckle as she listened to the soft chewing sounds of Yun Yi eating beside her.
She raised her hand and shook the cloth bag in her hand, and the aroma of food immediately filled the air. Her voice was gentle, "Would you like more? I'm not hungry, you can take this one too."
"Hmm? You don't want to eat anymore?" Yunyi paused slightly as she picked up the dumpling with her chopsticks. She looked at Hoshiguma's gentle golden eyes in the projection and blinked. "Don't worry about me. I'm not hungry. I'm just having a little treat. Actually, I don't need to eat. I could go for years without eating or drinking and it would be fine."
"No need to eat...?" Hoshiguma frowned, about to ask more questions, when the elevator doors opened with a "ding". Outside the doors, Minerva sat on the mechanical arm and looked up at Hoshiguma.
Hoshiguma had no choice but to swallow her question, lower her hand holding the bag, and simply nodded politely to Minerva, getting straight to the point, "Hello, I'm here to understand the current situation of the apartment and to ascertain your wishes. You can decide the location for the discussion, the only requirement is that it be done as soon as possible."
So soon? Did you foresee that Swire and Chen were coming back?
Yun Yi tossed the dumpling he had picked up into his mouth, and his mind "looked" at the outside world through the vision of Nirvana.
At the office door, Texas's wolf ears stood alertly upright, turning rhythmically to gather surrounding sounds. Her long, white fingers remained on the hilt of her sword, and her amber eyes scanned the office, reflecting every detail around her.
On the desk, 001 put her hands on her hips, tilted her head slightly, and happily shared with 002, who was standing next to the desk fiddling with the terminal, how comfortable it was to be carried by the commander all the way, and suggested that 002 should try it too.