Substitute Toyokawa Shoko, you can become stronger by breathing

She looked at the people holding banners and shouting slogans, and at the police officers with tense expressions who were maintaining order.

Was it an accident?

Just as her thoughts were in a mess, her eyes unconsciously followed the surging crowd.

Suddenly, among the swaying heads and waving flags, an extremely familiar hair color, as blue as the deep sea, suddenly entered her field of vision!

The blue is so eye-catching that it is hard to ignore even in a chaotic crowd.

What made her heart skip a beat was that following closely behind the blue figure was a pair of equally familiar, soft, light green hair!

The blue-haired girl looked a bit frail, leaning slightly sideways, seemingly speaking something. Her hand was tightly grasping the wrist of the light green-haired girl behind her, guiding her quickly through the crowded crowd. Behind them, several blurry figures seemed to be following, also in a hurry, half-obscured by the crowd.

Nagasaki Suyo's breathing stopped instantly.

The next second, almost completely on instinct, Nagasaki Suyo suddenly stood up from her seat, the chair legs scraping against the ground with a soft sound. She placed her hands on the table, leaned forward, and stared fixedly out the window, trying to catch another glimpse of the two figures.

"Xiao Xiang...?"

The name came out almost without her knowledge, so softly that only she could hear it.

"Soyorin? What's wrong?"

Chihaya Aine was startled by her sudden action, raised her head in confusion, and looked out the window following her gaze, but only saw a chaotic crowd.

However, the two figures moved too fast. Like stones thrown into the sea, they were only briefly seen before being swallowed up by the surging crowd and vanished without a trace.

It was as if the scene just now was just an illusion she had created.

Nagasaki Suyo froze in place, her heart beating violently in her chest, making a thumping sound that almost drowned out the noise outside the window.

Is it really an illusion?

Xiaoxiang...and...Xiaomu?

......

PS: This chapter has 8,000 words.

My stomach felt a little uncomfortable today and I was in a bad state, so I ate less. Sorry.

Also, thanks to Afghan for the treasure chest. It cost him a lot of money. Thank you very much!

Today is the last day of the bounty, and the bounty will be settled at midnight on the 10th.

Chapter 78: Possessiveness Max (1w1)

When the special car sent by the agency finally took Ave Mujica and his group to the second alternative hotel after many twists and turns, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

The lobby of this hotel is more spacious and grand than the previous one.

The mirror-like marble floor reflects the soft and dazzling crystal chandeliers on the ceiling, and the air is filled with the light and relaxing aroma of white tea.

"Wow..."

"It seems to feel pretty good here?"

Yutenji Wakamugi was also a little stunned.

She originally thought that the alternative hotel would be disappointing, but unexpectedly it was a pleasant surprise.

The members each took their room cards and walked towards the elevator.

Returning to his spacious, quiet suite, which even had a small living room, Kujo Renji closed the door, blocking out all sounds from the outside world.

He took off his coat and threw it casually on the sofa, then walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the cityscape of Osaka.

The afterglow of the setting sun casts a warm golden hue on the rows of buildings.

At this moment, Toyokawa Shoko's voice, with obvious resentment and fatigue, rang in his mind.

"Today has been a lot of bad luck."

Kujo Renji turned around, walked to the desk in the middle of the room, and opened the thin and light laptop he carried with him.

"Unlucky?"

He responded in his heart, with a hint of indifference in his tone:

"I don't think so."

"Huh? Isn't this unlucky? Don't you find this troublesome?"

Xiangzi was a little bit unbelievable.

"Troublesome, but not accidental."

As Kujo Renji spoke, he quickly typed on the keyboard, and several news web pages and search results immediately popped up on the screen.

Instead of relying on Yamamoto or Ishikawa's intelligence network, he began to collect information directly using public online resources.

He first searched for the keyword "Osaka West District Redevelopment Plan", and a large number of news reports, government announcements, forum discussions, and even related posts on social media instantly emerged.

He quickly scanned the information, his fingers sliding across the touchpad, his eyes sharp and focused.

"look...."

He linked several key points of information together in his mind and "showed" them to Xiangzi:

"This 'New West District Redevelopment Plan' has been controversial for a long time, but the timing of the intensification is interesting."

Several reports appeared on the screen, pointing out the recent surge in opposition and the fact that some community representatives who had previously been neutral had begun to publicly express their opposition.

“Look at today’s parade…”

He pulled up several local media outlets' real-time reports and photos of today's march:

"This is larger than previous protests, and noticeably more organized. Pay attention to the banners and slogans. While the main theme is opposition to development, they're mixed with some... well, inflammatory rhetoric with unclear directives, like 'foreign capital destroying local culture,' which can easily escalate the conflict and shift the focus."

He searched again for information about today's parade route.

"Look at this route. It almost perfectly covers the main traffic arteries from Shin-Osaka Station to several major hotel areas in the city center. And choosing this time this afternoon is exactly when we will arrive and head to the hotel. What a coincidence."

"The 'technical glitch' with our hotel booking came at just the right moment, forcing us to change hotels at short notice and extending our exposure on the streets. ... Then, an unusually large demonstration 'just happened' to block our path, trapping us in the chaos, causing trouble, delaying us, and perhaps even trying to get us into negative news."

Kujo Renji leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms, and concluded:

"This isn't just bad luck, Ms. Xiangzi. Someone is behind this, and their goal is clear: to target us. Or rather, it's targeting 'Toyokawa Xiangzi', targeting Ave Mujica."

Simply by collecting information from public channels and conducting logical reasoning, he connected all the troubles encountered today into a clear thread and pointed out the malicious intent behind them.

Toyokawa Shoko was stunned. She originally thought that what Kujo Renji said might be an exaggeration, but after thinking about it carefully... there were indeed many doubts.

Jiujo Renji's analysis is so clear

She had to admit that even if she put aside this man's bad character and methods that she could not agree with, just in terms of this ability to see the truth without relying on any special intelligence sources and relying solely on personal analytical ability, Kujo Renji was indeed top-notch.

It could even be said to be... scary.

so...

"Someone is targeting us? Why?"

To be honest, Toyokawa Shoko felt a little crazy

After all, Ave Mujica is just a band, and they wouldn't necessarily be involved in so many troubles before...

Why is it becoming so troublesome now?

Is it because of my previous limited abilities and level, or is it because I am too lucky that I didn’t encounter this kind of deep-level “game”?

"Who do you think is behind this?"

Xiangzi couldn't help asking, her voice filled with a dependence that she herself didn't even notice.

Upon hearing this, Kujo Renji tapped his fingers on the table lightly, a hint of hesitation flashing in his eyes.

Who?

To be honest, this method...looks a little familiar.

The Toyokawa family will use means, but they are usually more direct, more focused on results, or more inclined to use rules and power to crush.

This tortuous style, which focuses on creating chaos and psychological pressure, is more like...an old rival from his previous life, or...a variation of some of the methods he himself has used before.

Could it be that Ishikawa accidentally leaked something?

Did some of his former enemies or competitors smell something and follow the clues to find him?

This thought stirred a wave in Kujo Renji's heart. He carefully reflected on his recent actions: the integration of Winwing and the acquisition of several small entertainment companies... These business activities, while covert, were not completely untraceable.

If some sharp-nosed "sharks" noticed these unusual capital flows and traced them to their source...

Realizing that these troubles were most likely caused by "himself", Kujo Renji suddenly felt a little...guilty.

He coughed, trying to fool around:

"It's hard to say at this point. There are many possibilities. Perhaps it's a business competitor looking to cause trouble for us during a crucial tour period. Perhaps it's the forces behind that West District development project who don't want 'celebrities' like us around and attracting unnecessary attention. Of course... it could also be the Toyokawa family."

This statement was watertight, encompassing all possibilities, yet cleverly avoiding the most likely and most guilty source.

——Himself.

......

the other side.

This was completely different from the solemn, calculating, and gaming atmosphere in Kujo Renji's room.

At this moment, in Yutenji Wakamu's room, there was a kind of...relaxation after surviving a disaster, and a hint of girlish excitement.

Ruomai almost fell into a "big" shape and heavily onto the big bed that looked extremely soft and was covered with high-thread-count pure white sheets.

The soft mattress gently accommodated her tired body with a soft sound of satisfaction.

She sighed comfortably, feeling that the fatigue from days of running around, as well as the fear and shame she had felt all day, were all somewhat comforted by the comfortable touch.

"Hahaha—I'm alive..."

Ruomai buried his face in the pillow that smelled like sunshine, and his voice came muffled:

"It's still the most comfortable to lie in bed..."

Her room was located at the corner of the floor and was much larger than a standard guest room. In addition to the standard bedroom area, there was also a small living space with a comfortable sofa and coffee table.

At this moment, Hachiman Kailing, Sankaku Hatsuka and Wakaba Mutsuya were all in the room.

Because Ruomai's room was the largest and most convenient, everyone agreed to temporarily put most of the luggage here and move back to their rooms after settling in.

Ruomai, lying on the bed, began to look around the room after initially relaxing.

The more she looked, the more doubts she began to stir. Was this hotel... really just a "backup option"?

The environment, the facilities, the scenery... they all look a level better than the one they had carefully selected online, right?

Logically speaking, since it is compensation for the other hotel's mistake, you should usually choose a hotel of the same level or slightly lower level.

Upgrading them directly to a significantly better hotel like this, and even giving them an upgraded room...

Is the price/performance ratio a bit too high? A bit... abnormally high?

She couldn't help but start thinking divergently.

Could it be that the firm is really helpful?

Haha, as I expected.

All the bad luck that happened today was just pure coincidence. Now good things are happening to me!

Staying in such a great hotel was a blessing in disguise!

Thinking of this, Ruomai's mood suddenly improved a lot. She took out her phone and prepared to check Instagram to see if there were any delicious restaurants or places worth visiting nearby.

She habitually clicked on the hotel's location tag to see the photos and reviews shared by other guests.

Most of the comments were in praise of the hotel's environment, services and scenery, which made Ruomai feel even happier.

However, as she quickly scrolled down the screen, a slightly different post, among many glamorous photos, caught her attention.

It was a dark-toned photo, seemingly taken of a corner of a hotel corridor. The lights were dim and there was no one there, but the text below the photo made Ruomai's heart skip a beat.

Title: [Late-night adventure? Or a real ghost encounter? My experience staying at the Osaka Royal Park Hotel (formerly the Osaka Gold Hotel)]

text:

"I didn't do any research before checking into this hotel. I just thought the new renovation was beautiful and the value was great. But when I came back that evening and checked the posts, I realized... this is actually a famous 'that' place in Osaka?!