Xicheng Xun didn't fall asleep until late at night. After all, she was only a sixteen-and-a-half-year-old girl. She had been busy all day and experienced so much in the evening. After her initial tension, she gradually realized this young man wouldn't hurt her. Once her guard was down, fatigue washed over her, and she couldn't help but slowly close her eyes.
The girl slept on the living room sofa.
Chen Nuo had kindly tossed her a pillow and a blanket.
Yes, that was right.
Chen Yanluo, of course, slept on the soft and comfortable big bed.
This Little Blueberry could sleep on the sofa.
In the middle of the night, Xicheng Xun considered sneaking away.
She waited for a long ti, listening to Chen Nuo's breathing from the room; it had beco deep and steady, as if he were sound asleep. The girl tiptoed off the sofa. Barefoot, she quietly walked towards the door. She had taken fewer than two steps when she heard Chen Nuo's cold voice from behind her.
"If you dare open that door, I'll spank you a hundred tis. I an what I say."
The girl's body imdiately stiffened. "I... I was just going to the restroom," she said in a low voice.
Chen Nuo said nothing more.
Xicheng Xun looked back. The bedroom door wasn't closed, and Chen Nuo, on the bed, had turned over, seemingly asleep again.
She glanced at the main door, only a few steps away... but Xicheng Xun ultimately didn't dare.
Sighing, she returned to the sofa and lay down, her small body curled into a ball. Her mind wandered for a while before she finally drifted off to sleep.
At dawn, Chen Nuo awoke early.
After freshening up, he walked out of the bedroom into the living room. He stood beside the sofa for a mont, staring at the girl who was pretending to be asleep.
"Alright, I know you're awake," Chen Nuo said, sowhat amused. Xicheng Xun's attempt at feigning sleep was clumsy; her eyelids and eyelashes trembled slightly, and her breathing beca a bit erratic under his gaze.
Ignoring the girl's embarrassnt, Chen Nuo returned to his room, picked up a phone he had bought in Tokyo, and made a call.
An hour later, there was a knock at the door.
Chen Nuo opened it and returned carrying a large paper bag.
He tossed the paper bag into the bedroom and said to Xicheng Xun, "A change of clothes for you. Go in and get changed."
"..." Xicheng Xun silently got up and went into the room, not locking the door...
In reality, locking it or not made little difference. Against this mysterious man's formidable abilities, the hotel door lock was rely decorative. If he truly intended to do anything to her, a simple lock wouldn't stop him.
Upon opening the paper bag and glancing at the clothes inside, a blush crept onto Xicheng Xun's delicate face.
Inside were two clean outfits: T-shirts, hoodies, and denim shorts.
There were also two sets of girls' underwear—size small.
"The style is so ugly, so tacky..."
Xicheng Xun pouted in dissatisfaction.
Actually, the clothes were clearly expensive; the tags indicated they were all from top-tier brands.
But the style... it really didn't suit a girl of Xicheng Xun's age.
Even the underwear seed sowhat seductive.
Both the underwear and outerwear leaned towards a more mature style.
When she ca out after changing, Chen Nuo had already ordered breakfast.
During the al, Xicheng Xun sulked silently, not uttering a word. Chen Nuo, likewise, ignored her, picking up a newspaper that had been delivered with breakfast and reading as he ate.
After breakfast, Chen Nuo put down the newspaper and glanced at Xicheng Xun, who was sitting there, bored and daydreaming.
"Get ready. We're going out."
"Huh?"
"What 'huh'? Can't you understand my Japanese?"
"Didn't you say we couldn't go out for three days?"
"Plans change."
"Why?"
Chen Nuo shrugged. "Because I feel like it."
Xicheng Xun gritted her teeth, shot the detestable man a look, then silently got up and went into the restroom to comb her hair.
As they left, two n in black suits waited respectfully at the hotel lobby entrance.
Chen Nuo walked ahead, hands in his pockets, while Xicheng Xun followed, head down, a reluctant expression on her face.
The two n in black suits imdiately bowed deeply, a full ninety degrees.
"Sir..."
The older man in black quickly walked to a black Bentley parked in front of the hotel and opened the car door.
Chen Nuo got into the car, his face expressionless. Behind him, Xicheng Xun's eyes widened in astonishnt.
Although she'd had a tough few years, she still recognized a super-luxury, top-tier car like a Bentley! And the respectful, serious expressions on the faces of these two attendant-like n in black suits gave Xicheng Xun a sense of unreality.
"What are you looking at? Get in," Chen Nuo said from inside the car, frowning.
"..."
Gritting her teeth, Xicheng Xun reluctantly climbed in.
After the car door closed, the two n in black also got in. One took the driver's seat, while the older one sat in the front passenger seat.
"Sir, where are we headed? To the company?" the older man in black asked respectfully, turning around.
Chen Nuo thought for a mont, leaned back in his seat, and said nonchalantly, "To Akihabara."
"Yes, sir!"
Once the Bentley was moving steadily...
"You... who exactly are you?" Xicheng Xun, sitting in the car, couldn't help but turn her head to look at Chen Nuo.
Chen Nuo completely ignored her, simply lowering his head to play Snake on his phone.
Annoyed, Xicheng Xun leaned back in her seat and turned to look out the window.
This guy... and this whole setup... The two n in black suits, judging by their aura, clearly weren't ordinary. And a Bentley like this... Could he be the son of so tycoon? Pah! Why would a tycoon's son go to Akihabara? Isn't that a place for otaku?
To the general public, Akihabara was just a comrcial district for electronics.
But in the hearts of otaku and ani enthusiasts, it was practically sacred ground.
Throughout the morning, Chen Nuo excitedly dragged Xicheng Xun through Akihabara, visiting countless figurine shops, electronics stores, and ga arcades.
Their shopping thod was quite peculiar.
Chen Nuo walked in front, Xicheng Xun followed with her head down, and the older man in the black suit brought up the rear.
Chen Nuo kept his hands in his pockets, wandering about as if aimlessly. Whenever an interesting model or figurine caught his eye, he would casually point, and a shop assistant would bring it for his inspection.
If satisfied, Chen Nuo would nod. "Wrap it up."
Then, the older man in black would imdiately step forward to ticulously handle the paynt.
By the end of the morning, Chen Nuo was still strolling leisurely, hands in his pockets.
The older man in black, however, was laden with bags of all sizes, filled with models and figurines.
Xicheng Xun had figured it out... this guy was a Gundam fan.
He bought all sorts of limited editions from Bandai's original line as if money were no object, not even blinking.
So items were even store treasures, non-sale display pieces ant to attract custors.
Yet, this guy would casually offer several tis their price without batting an eye.
He simply steamrolled them with his wealth, compelling them to sell their prized possessions.
The older man in black, though panting heavily from the effort, diligently kept pace, never slacking for a mont.
Moreover, Xicheng Xun keenly observed that both the older man in black and the younger one who drove moved with a steady, agile confidence. Their gait and posture clearly indicated they were not ordinary, but well-trained individuals.
Evidently, they weren't just attendants but also served as bodyguards. Only truly wealthy families could afford such people. All this made Xicheng Xun even more curious about Chen Nuo's identity. And this guy... Hmph!
Xicheng Xun had already noticed! This young scoundrel, though he'd bought sunglasses and wore them, had been furtively checking out attractive young won on the street from behind those lenses the entire ti! Especially girls in cosplay. Earlier, when they passed a maid café, he had stared at the... thighs... of the young won in maid outfits for a long, long ti! Hmph! What a lecher!
At noon, the group returned to the car.
"Sir, where to now? Back to the hotel or the office?"
Chen Nuo leaned back in his seat, pondered for a mont, then recited an address.
"!!!"
Xicheng Xun whipped her head around to stare at Chen Nuo in surprise.
The address he had just given was her ho!
Xicheng Xun's ho was a typical small, detached house common in Japan. It wasn't large—only seventy to eighty square ters spread across two floors, with a small yard and a small gate. In Tokyo, however, such a residence was already considered middle-class; most office workers could only afford to live in tiny, pigeonhole-like apartnts. At least this type of house was a standalone dwelling.
The street was sowhat narrow, and the houses were relatively old, but overall, it looked very tidy.
Xicheng Xun gritted her teeth and followed Chen Nuo out of the car. As she walked to her front door, she realized this man seed quite familiar with the surrounding streets. He had navigated directly to her doorstep without needing any directions from her.
"Daydreaming? Get your keys and open the door," Chen Nuo said, tilting his head at Xicheng Xun.
"..." Xicheng Xun bit her lip, silently took out her keys, unlocked the gate, and walked in first, completely ignoring Chen Nuo.
The decor in Xicheng Xun's ho was simple and clean, typical of middle-class Japanese households of the era. The small living room was fully equipped with appliances, but that was about it; there were no further luxurious furnishings.
The older man in the black suit placed the mountain of figurines Chen Nuo had bought in Xicheng Xun's living room, then waited respectfully for Chen Nuo's instructions.
Chen Nuo whispered a few words to him, and the older man nodded and bowed in acknowledgnt.
Then...
"Oh, do you have any cigarettes on you?"
"...Yes."
The older man in black quickly fumbled in his pocket, produced a pack of Marlboros, and offered it with both hands.
Chen Nuo frowned slightly but took them without a word.
He didn't like blended cigarettes, but he couldn't very well ask this fellow to buy him Huaxia cigarettes... He didn't want to reveal his origins. Oh well, they'd have to do.
After sending off the man in black, Chen Nuo returned to the living room. He walked straight to the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, took out a bottle of water, and guzzled down nearly half of it in one go.
"Hey!"
Xicheng Xun stood at the entrance to the bedroom from the living room, gritting her teeth as she stared at Chen Nuo.
"What's wrong?"
"You! Have you no manners? Do you really think this is your house? Raiding soone's fridge without their permission, is that how a guest behaves?"
Xicheng Xun's face was pale with anger, her chest heaving. She glanced at the pile of boxes—various toys and figurines—stacked like a small hill on the living room floor. "And all this! What's the aning of this? Why are you dumping your things in my house?"
Chen Nuo leisurely walked to the sofa and sat down. He then took out the pack of Marlboros he'd gotten from the older man in black and lit one for himself.
"Hey! How can you smoke in soone else's house without their permission!" the young girl's sharp voice scolded, though it clearly lacked real conviction.
Chen Nuo chuckled.
"First, I'm not a guest. You're my captive, rember? Second... as for why my things are here... that's simple. It's because I'll be living here too."
"What?!"
Chen Nuo frowned. "Is there a problem with my Japanese accent? Can't you understand ?"
He looked at the girl good-naturedly, a smile on his face, and enunciated slowly, exaggerating his lip movents, "I. Said. I. Am. Going. To. Live. Here."
"..." Xicheng Xun was clearly taken aback. After a few stunned seconds, she retorted angrily, "Hey! There's a limit to joking! Is it really okay for you to be so presumptuous? In soone else's house, just deciding you're going to live here... I... Huh?"
Before she could finish, Chen Nuo had already swiftly moved to her side. As she continued her tirade, he reached out his right hand and suddenly pinched her cheek between two fingers.
The still-scolding girl's slightly chubby cheeks were instantly squeezed into an "O" shape.
"???" Xicheng Xun was stunned. She hadn't expected him to make such a rude gesture.
"So noisy," Chen Nuo said, still pinching her cheek. "I told you, you're my captive. Captives don't have the right to ask so many questions."
With that, he released her cheek and smiled. "Still quite a bit of at on your face, huh."
A faint blush crept onto Xicheng Xun's cheeks, but she tried to glare at him. "What are you talking about! I... I have baby fat! I'm not fat!"
Chen Yanluo's gaze drifted down about a foot. "A bit chubby is good. Tsk, little girls don't understand."
"..."
"Alright!" Chen Nuo turned and sat back on the sofa, leaning back comfortably. He picked up the remote and turned on the TV. "Okay, I'm starving. Go make so food."
"What?!"
"What now?" Chen Nuo rolled his eyes. "You're my captive! If you don't cook, am I supposed to?"
"..."
This is infuriating! If only I could beat him, I'd give him a good thrashing!
Domoto Hideno sat in his spacious top-floor office. He downed a glass of whiskey, then slamd the empty glass onto the table. His face and eyes were filled with resentful anger.
The phone on his desk rang, and Domoto Hideno quickly snatched it up.
"What is it!"
"President..."
Recognizing the voice of his trusted assistant, Domoto Hideno exhaled, composed himself, and asked in a calm, low voice, "What's the situation?"
"We have been attending to the gentleman according to your instructions, and he..."
"What did he do?"
There was a pause of a few seconds on the other end of the line before the assistant continued.
"Last night, the gentleman had book a room for him at the XX Hotel. Then, last night, he took a girl back to the hotel."
"Oh?" Domoto Hideno raised an eyebrow but wasn't overly concerned. It's normal for young n to be interested in won.
"The girl spoke with a local accent, quite young, and... well, very beautiful."
"Mm, anything else?" Domoto Hideno wasn't particularly surprised. Spending the night with a young local woman, whether he t her at a nightclub or paid for high-end company... wasn't unusual. Such things had happened before when entertaining special envoys.
"Then, this morning, the gentleman had buy several sets of won's clothing and deliver them."
"And then?"
"Then, he went shopping this morning. I accompanied him the entire ti; he bought quite a few things..."
"Skip the insignificant details."
"Yes! Yes!" The voice on the phone remained respectful. "It's just that after shopping, the gentleman refused to return to the hotel. Instead, he took the girl to her ho... and... it seems he intends to stay there for the next few days. Everything he bought today was also left there."
"Hmm?"
Now Domoto Hideno was sowhat puzzled.
Taking an unfamiliar girl to a hotel for the night... Having his subordinate buy won's clothes, including lingerie... That certainly implied sothing had happened between them. But... moving into the girl's house? What kind of play was this? Had he gotten addicted to sleeping with her?
After pondering for a mont, Domoto Hideno gritted his teeth. "Investigate that girl's background. Then... station a few n near that location. Don't bother being too secretive or trying to hide their identities; you probably wouldn't escape his notice anyway. If you're discovered, just say I sent you to be on standby to assist him at any ti. But you must, by all ans, keep a close watch on his movents. Where he goes, who he ets—report directly to imdiately. Understand?"
"Yes, sir!"
After hanging up, Domoto Hideno sat in his chair, rubbing his temples, and remained silent for a mont.
After so thought, he picked up the phone again and quickly dialed a number.
Several minutes later, Domoto Hideno hung up, his brow deeply furrowed, lost in thought.
The second call had been to an agent in an organization in the Aricas, a fellow Gold Digger. Domoto Hideno had carefully probed for information.
He received so astonishing news.
A core mber of the Abyss Organization, responsible for liaising with the Aricas, had been out of contact for several days. Furthermore, according to his counterpart in the Aricas, this mber might have t with an accident—or could even be dead! This was because the colleague in the Aricas had so shady dealings and collusion with that particular Abyss Organization mber, and they had been covertly embezzling assets. Now, his Arican counterpart seed sowhat flustered and anxious.
Domoto Hideno then retrieved a satellite phone from his drawer.
This ti, he called a core mber of the Abyss Organization whom he knew personally. This individual had previously visited Japan several tis as a special envoy. With thirty years of experience, Domoto Hideno had gradually pieced things together and had privately attempted multiple tis to cultivate connections with core mbers of the Abyss Organization. This particular contact was one with whom he had maintained clandestine communication.
Ordinarily, he would never use this line so readily. Even when the Abyss Organization had severed contact with the Gold Diggers in East Asia for several months, they had only managed one hurried call just before the communication blackout. During that call, his contact had ntioned so internal upheavals in the organization but hadn't specified details, warning Domoto Hideno not to contact him for the ti being.
Now, dialing this number again... Domoto Hideno desperately hoped to glean so information.
However...
The call didn't connect.
He couldn't get through!
Over the next hour, Domoto Hideno contacted several trusted Gold Diggers from various organizations he had befriended over the years.
The news he gathered was startling.
None of the Gold Diggers could reach their respective contacts within the Abyss Organization.
It was as if... all these people had simply vanished from the face of the earth.
"Vanished... or are they all dead?"
The old man sat in his chair, lost in deep thought.
It wasn't that he was suicidal, nor did he lack self-awareness.
But human nature always has certain inescapable flaws.
Take Domoto Hideno, for example. He had fought his entire life to establish his career and family fortune. Although, in the eyes of The Abyss, all of this was rely propped up by the Abyss Organization, in Domoto Hideno's heart, it was sothing he had painstakingly built with his own hands. After thirty years of nurturing his enterprise, he naturally had his own attachnts.
He certainly didn't have the courage for outright betrayal.
But to simply hand everything over to soone else... he couldn't stomach that either.
He sat in his office for the entire afternoon.
Dusk fell, and the sky outside turned black. His company assistant had co to him several tis for instructions, but Domoto Hideno had ordered all his appointnts canceled.
His mind wrestled with itself, pondering for half a day. The bottle of wine on his desk was empty. The ashtray overflowed with cigarette butts.
By evening, his eyes were bloodshot.
Forcefully unbuttoning the top two buttons of his shirt, he took a few deep breaths.
Domoto Hideno pulled open a drawer and, from a hidden compartnt, retrieved a small object.
It was a... black USB flash drive, embossed with an octopus logo.
He had gone to great lengths to acquire this drive two years ago. Having served the Abyss Organization for thirty years, he knew more and had encountered more than most ordinary Gold Diggers.
That mysterious Underground World, hidden beneath the surface of the mundane world—Domoto Hideno had, in fact, already brushed against it.
Taking a deep breath, Domoto Hideno plugged the USB drive into his computer...
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