Substitute Toyokawa Shoko, you can become stronger by breathing

And a dark emotion called jealousy and possessiveness that is suppressed deep in the heart!

Countless thoughts exploded in Chu Hua's mind, making her brain a mess.

She stood at the door, hesitating, her eyes evasive, completely unsure of what to say, her face flushed with embarrassment.

Jiujo Liansi looked at Chuhua, who was hugging a pillow at the door, his face flushed and incoherent, and then looked at Mu, who was hugging a pillow in the room, with a calm face, and perhaps a little confused as to why Chuhua reacted so strongly. He felt the veins on his forehead throbbing.

One or two...do you really think this place is something?

His patience finally ran out.

"Everyone go back."

Jiujo Liansi's voice turned cold, without a trace of warmth:

"Your own room, your own sleep."

After saying that, he didn't even give the two of them any chance to refute or request again. He directly pushed them out of the door along with their pillows, one in each hand, and then closed the door with a "bang", cleanly and neatly.

In the corridor, only Chuhua and Ruoye Mu were left, hugging pillows and looking at each other in confusion.

The warm yellow corridor light shone on them, and the atmosphere was suddenly quiet and a little...subtle.

The blush on Chuhua's face had not completely faded. She looked at the closed door, then looked at Mu, who was hugging a pillow beside her with a calm expression. Her heart was filled with frustration, unwillingness, and a trace of anger towards Mu.

But her good upbringing and habitual disguise prevented her from expressing these negative emotions directly. She could only bite her lower lip secretly with a complicated look in her eyes.

Ruo Yemu didn't seem to care too much about being kicked out. She just looked down at the pillow in her arms, then looked up at Chu Hua beside her, and then silently hugged the pillow tightly again.

In the corridor, there were only two girls hugging pillows, and a silently spreading awkward atmosphere mixed with frustration, jealousy and confusion.

........

Early in the morning in Osaka, sunlight filtered through the gaps in the thick curtains of the Royal Park Hotel, casting thin strips of light on the carpet.

However, for Yutenji Wakami and Sankaku Hatsuka, the morning was not very bright.

When I woke up at this moment, I had faint dark circles under my eyes and looked listless.

In comparison, Hachiman Kairin and Wakaba Mutsushi seem much more normal.

Hai Ling went out for a morning run early in the morning. When she came back, she looked normal, but when she passed by Ruomai and Chuhua, there was a hint of helplessness in her eyes.

In the suite, Kujo Renji had already finished washing up and changed into a simple and capable casual outfit.

Just then, his cell phone vibrated. It was a message from his agent Nakamura.

Nakamura: "Ms. Toyokawa, good morning. I have something to report to you. Since early this morning, I have been receiving a large number of inquiries from local Osaka media, including several well-known TV and radio stations and online media. They have all expressed great interest in Ave Mujica and hope to interview us or do some publicity for our upcoming performances. This...this is a bit unexpected. We have not proactively contacted the Osaka media before."

Nakamura's surprise and a hint of excitement were revealed between the lines of the message.

For a rising band, receiving active attention from so many local media outlets is undoubtedly a great thing, as it means increased exposure and influence.

However, when Kujo Renji saw this message, his brows immediately frowned.

Osaka local media? Active contact? Or "large numbers"?

This is so abnormal.

Although Ave Mujica has accumulated a certain degree of popularity in Tokyo, it should not have received such high, almost "overwhelming" attention in the new market of Osaka.

Especially since they had just encountered a series of "accidents" yesterday, including hotel reservations being canceled and even being involved in a parade.

Why are there so many "well-intentioned" olive branches suddenly appearing now?

There must be a demon in the abnormal situation.

He almost subconsciously felt that this sudden "media craze" and yesterday's troubles might have come from the same mastermind behind the scenes.

He didn't reply to Nakamura immediately, but switched interfaces and sent a message to Ishikawa, which was concise and to the point:

[Toyokawa Shoko]: "Osaka media, what are your plans?"

Ishikawa's reply came almost instantly. The content was also brief, but it carried a clear warning:

[Ishikawa]: "It wasn't my fault. Ms. Toyokawa, please be careful."

It wasn’t Ishikawa after all.

Kujo Renji understood.

As for Yamamoto, Kujo Renji didn't even bother to ask.

Yamamoto may have some connections in Tokyo, but he has almost no influence in Osaka, and it is even more impossible for him to mobilize so many local media.

Then the conclusion is clear.

This is neither an arrangement made by our own people nor a normal market reaction.

How many good things can there be in this world that fall from the sky?

This so-called "media interview" and "publicity report" is more like a carefully laid trap.

The other party may have many purposes: perhaps they want to use the interview as a pretext to spy on the band's internal situation; perhaps they want to set language traps in the report to guide negative public opinion; perhaps they want to push Ave Mujica to the forefront of a storm and thereby achieve other ulterior motives.

In any case, accepting it rashly would be extremely risky.

Kujo Renji's eyes were slightly cold, and his fingertips tapped on the phone screen, replying to his agent Nakamura:

[Toyokawa Shoko]: "Mr. Nakamura, thank you for your report. Regarding these interview and publicity requests, we are declining all of them for now. At this stage, our priority is to prepare for the performance and avoid excessive distractions."

Almost immediately, Nakamura replied:

"Yes, Ms. Toyokawa, I understand. I'll take care of it right away."

Although Nakamura may be a little puzzled and even feel sorry, he has always obeyed the orders of this young core member of the band with a mysterious background and did not dare to question him in the slightest.

After dealing with this matter, Kujo Renji thought he could have some peace and quiet for a while and focus on the upcoming rehearsals and performance arrangements.

However, reality once again goes beyond the scope of "normal".

By the afternoon, the situation had taken a turn for the worse.

First, when Chuhua was browsing his phone, he was surprised to find that a popular local entertainment information website in Osaka had published a report about "The mysterious masked band Ave Mujica landed in Osaka, sparking expectations."

Soon after, promotional posts about Ave Mujica's upcoming performance in Osaka appeared on several local life forums and social media groups. The posts were full of enthusiasm and described them as "a new wave of music from Tokyo" and "an audio-visual feast not to be missed", and even included a ticket purchase link.

Some local music radio stations also began playing Ave Mujica's songs during breaks in their programs and mentioned their upcoming performance in Osaka.

These propagandas emerged like mushrooms after rain, overwhelming everyone in just a few hours.

The breadth of its coverage and the speed of its spread completely exceeded the normal pace of publicity. It seemed more like someone had invested a lot of resources behind the scenes to force the promotion.

Kujo Renji sat in the room, looking at the screenshots of messages sent by the members one after another, which were full of surprise and confusion, without any expression of surprise on his face.

"Ah..."

He chuckled:

"This is really... can't wait to push us to the forefront."

Now, even the last shred of hope was gone. Not only was the other party manipulating him from behind, but even after he had clearly refused, they still forced the promotion through.

There was no way to hide. The other party had obviously set up a trap and didn't mind letting him know.

So...

We had no choice but to catch him.

.......

Just as Kujo Renji had expected, the forcibly created media frenzy surrounding Ave Mujica only maintained its "positive" image for less than half a day before it quickly deteriorated and revealed its hidden fangs.

Bubbles in the sun are always easy to burst, especially when someone deliberately pokes them with a needle.

What first appeared were some "noises," initially in some relatively niche local forums and social media comment sections.

"Ave Mujica? I've never heard of them. Why are they suddenly everywhere? The agency must have spent a lot of money, right?"

"Another band from Tokyo? Such a big show right out of the gate, it feels a bit... um..."

"Singing with your face covered? What kind of mysticism is this? It's just grandstanding."

These were just scattered doubts and confusions, but soon, the tide began to turn dramatically. Following the aftermath of yesterday's protest march against the Shinsai Ward redevelopment plan, some extremely precise and inflammatory rumors began to spread like a virus across Osaka's online space.

Someone anonymously posted in the comments section of a local news article:

"It's hilarious! Yesterday we were protesting against an unscrupulous developer who was planning to demolish our century-old shopping street, and today we see a Tokyo band sponsored by this developer strut their stuff in Osaka! How ironic! Using our hard-earned money to support these out-of-town stars?!"

Someone immediately posted:

"Really?! Which developer? Is it the Yamato Construction company that's doing the West District redevelopment? They're sponsoring Ave Mujica?!"

"Don't talk nonsense upstairs. Do you have any evidence? But... the timing does seem a bit coincidental..."

"Haha, all capitalists are the same. They're tearing down our homes while hiring people to sing and dance to keep things simple."

On the other hand, in a Facebook group that focuses on local livelihood issues, someone posted:

"Everyone's been discussing the West Side's environmental pollution and power shortages, but what's the outcome? That band, Ave Mujica, must be consuming a ton of electricity for their rehearsals and performances, right? Why can they enjoy themselves here without a clear conscience while we locals have to pay the price for resource constraints?"

The following comments were even more emotional:

"That's right! What do those rich people from Tokyo know? Go back to Tokyo!"

"How long will their concert tickets cover our electricity bills?"

"Boycott Ave Mujica! Don't let them make money in Osaka!"

Some people even photoshopped yesterday's Ave Mujica performance in Tokyo together with the tired or angry faces of some elderly people and children in today's parade.

Accompanied by the text - Welcome to the 'bustling' Osaka! ”

These posts and comments, widely shared and liked, cleverly align Ave Mujica, an outsider, with key concerns of Osaka residents: conflicts of interest in urban renewal, environmental and livelihood issues, and the uneven distribution of local and foreign resources. Ave Mujica has become a symbol of "foreign capital" and the "privileged class" that disregards public welfare and focuses solely on their own interests.

Negative sentiment on the Internet quickly fermented and began to spread offline.

Some people found that the Ave Mujica concert posters posted near some subway stations and performance venues were maliciously graffitied with black markers, with crosses drawn on them and insulting words such as "Get out!" and "Vampire!" written on them.

Someone even photographed the relatively new black nanny car arranged by Winwing Agency for the band, which "happened" to pass by the core area of ​​yesterday's demonstrations - the old shopping street facing renovation - on the way to the rehearsal venue.

The most direct incitement comes from some "insider" voices mixed in online discussions and real-life debates:

"Have you heard? During the parade yesterday, someone seemed to see members of that band looking down from a nearby hotel, seemingly watching the excitement!"

"My friend works in the city government, and I think he heard that the West Ward renovation project was approved because of pressure from a large conglomerate in Tokyo. Maybe it's related to the company behind this band!"

"The venue they chose for their concert was reportedly requisitioned from a nearby community center!"

Suddenly, criticism of Ave Mujica flooded the online and public spaces of Osaka. A band once known only to the music community and its fan base was suddenly thrust into the forefront of social tensions, becoming a vent for the local public's negative emotions.

Negative hashtags such as #Osaka does not welcome AveMujica# and #AveMujica get out of Osaka# even topped the hot search list on local social media.

All these changes were so fast that people were caught off guard, and so vicious that people were shocked.

In his suite, Kujo Renji calmly browsed through all of this. His fingers slid across the screen of his tablet, which was densely packed with negative news, posts, comments, and maliciously manipulated images. His expression remained calm, as if he were reading a market analysis report that had nothing to do with him.

But the thoughts in his mind were running at high speed, quickly piecing together, analyzing and restoring these seemingly disorganized fragments of information.

His thoughts did not linger on the old management of Winwing who had been purged.

——Those people may have resentment, but most of them do not have the courage and ability to challenge "Toyokawa Shoko" and the possible forces behind him in this way.

His attention was focused on the style of this entire set of operating techniques.

This style... is so familiar.

They precisely identify and exploit internal conflicts within the target area to muddy the waters; they excel at guiding public opinion and psychological manipulation, leveraging maximum negative sentiment at minimal cost; their actions may appear chaotic, but each step is calculated, applying pressure layer by layer, ultimately aiming to drive the target into a desperate situation or force a specific response.

In his past, he had personally trained some of these people, teaching them how to navigate the edges of the rules and how to exploit information gaps and human weaknesses to achieve their goals.

Among them, there is one person who is particularly good at this kind of "borrowing the opponent's force" strategy, and... has always had an extraordinary interest and layout in the land of Osaka.

A name, like a bubble under the water, slowly emerged in Kujo Renji's mind.

Kimura Seiichiro

The smart, patient, ambitious...genius who was in charge of handling some "special affairs" in his former "empire" and was particularly good at activities in the Kansai region.

If it really is Seiichiro Kimura... then his purpose is probably not just simple revenge or commercial attack.

He was more like...testing.

Are they really sending them to me one by one for me to identify whether they are traitors?

A ruthless look flashed in Kujo Renji's eyes. He has never been a person who cherishes old friendships, especially when the other party is suspected of being a traitor.

In just a few minutes, he had figured out how to kill the other person.