Chapter 89
After seeing Swire sit down, Hoshiguma pushed Swire's portion to her.
"Hoshiguma, you ran into someone you know again? This smells really nice, which store is it from?"
Looking at the thick soup in front of her and Chen's words, Swire knew that Hoshiguma had received food again.
When patrolling, people would often slip him small snacks, and since Hoshiguma was particularly lucky and conspicuous, he could often get them.
"It was cooked by Shirou. We just happened to run into him while on patrol."
Hoshiguma concealed what Shirou was doing in the Slums. It was fine if she was alone, but if members of the Knights of the Round Table were frequently entering and leaving that shop, it would be easy for them to be targeted.
People in the Slums particularly dislike the Knights of the Round Table, even in buffer zones like the market.
She understands these rules, but that doesn't mean Swire and Chen understand them.
"Shirou, I understand."
Upon hearing that Shirou had made it, Swire nodded as she looked at the soup in front of her.
No wonder Hoshiguma specifically asked her to come; it seems Shirou hasn't forgotten her.
This means we might be able to poach their employees!
"Shirou? Oh, the one from Penguin Logistics."
Chen, who was standing nearby, overheard their conversation but couldn't immediately recall who Shirou was.
That's normal, after all, she'd only met them once. That Fried Winged Beast Chunk were really delicious.
However, Hoshiguma mentioned that the soup and the bento were made by the same person, which means... Shirou was carrying Hoshiguma's bento?
So Swire wants to poach Shirou from Penguin Logistics?
Hmm... it feels a bit messy.
"Yes, Penguin Logistics has become much more restrained since that day, saving a lot of work."
Swire loosened one button on his shirt and then stretched.
It's just her, Chen, and Hoshiguma here, so they can come easily. The door is already locked, so there's no need to worry about anyone suddenly coming in.
"Now that you mention it, I haven't seen any tickets from them for the past few days..."
Reflecting on her work over the past few days, Hoshiguma realized that something was missing.
So it turns out they didn't issue any fines to Penguin Logistics!
"That's a good thing; it means they've learned their lesson."
Chen said that it was a good thing that the Penguin Logistics team had stopped causing trouble, but the way Hoshiguma and Swire said it made it sound like they were regretting the loss of a daily task.
She casually picked up the documents that Swire had just placed on the coffee table and flipped through them to confirm that the documents Swire had given her were what she needed.
"Too."
Hearing Chen's words, Hoshiguma and Swire both felt that he made sense.
Anyway, as long as there's no trouble, that's good. Lungmen has passed another day peacefully. Thanks to Penguin Logistics for not causing any trouble.
"So, what do you want me to do with all this information, Bratty Dragon?"
Swire, holding her bowl and drinking soup, watched Chen earnestly flipping through the documents and asked a question.
"Someone notified me that it seems someone in the Slums has been targeting infected people recently, and told me to be more careful."
After confirming that it was the information she wanted, Chen put the documents aside and said to the two of them.
Strictly speaking, this matter does not fall under the jurisdiction of the Knights of the Round Table Bureau, since no police report was filed and the incident occurred in Slums.
Chen simply couldn't stand it and wanted to investigate.
"They've targeted infected individuals... are they children?"
Hearing what Chen said, Hoshiguma felt that it was a bit of a coincidence.
Shirou's side is taking in infected children, and Chen's side is investigating who's targeting the infected. Could it be such a coincidence?
"There are children too, but there are more adults."
Chen shook his head and said that he didn't know where these people went after they disappeared. What he could confirm at the moment was that most of those being targeted were adults.
It's unclear what the suspect intends to do with these infected individuals, and the information from the informant is scarce, leaving her to investigate on her own.
"Oh? That seems like a lot of trouble."
Once it was confirmed that it wasn't Shirou's fault, Hoshiguma felt relieved.
Shirou only accepts children, and there's absolutely no coercion involved, so there shouldn't be any problem.
At least she won't see Chen clash with Shirou. She even wants to find some time to have Shirou cook a meal of Higashi cuisine so she can reminisce about the taste of home.
It would be bad if he got injured.
"It's very troublesome; it's not easy to get involved in things in the Slums."
Swire sighed. Life is tough!
This type of case is the most difficult to handle, Knights of the Round Table has a hard time getting involved and the clues are very fragmented.
Even if the suspect is found, it's inconvenient to search for him in the Slums, as some of the residents are hostile to the Knights of the Round Table.
There will always be a way.
Chen said.
"Don't do anything reckless."
Looking at Chen's appearance, Hoshiguma was a little worried. Chen often did this kind of thing and often ended up covered in bruises.
She also has to worry about all the big and small things in Chen's life. If only someone could take her place.
For some reason, Hoshiguma suddenly thought of Shirou.
If she remembered correctly, Shirou seemed to be taking care of the four people at Penguin Logistics all by himself, and even had time to take care of the infected children of Ansuo.
If something happens to her, asking Shirou to take care of Chen seems like a good idea, doesn't it?
"You'd better put your mind to it, or you'll end up in the hospital again. I've been eyeing your position for a long time, and if you're gone for too long, I'll take over."
Swire also very worried about Chen, but unfortunately, she just couldn't bring herself to say those things.
She was used to arguing all the time, and without adding some gunpowder, she couldn't talk to this Bratty Dragon.
"Heh, let's wait for news from our informant."
Hearing Swire's words, Chen scoffed in disdain.
There was too little intelligence available, so she could only wait for further news from her informant. She was just using this time to check what new developments had occurred in the Slums.
This will make things easier when you go inside to handle things.
"It's good that you have your own thoughts. Remember to contact me if anything comes up."
Seeing the tension between the two of them escalating again, Hoshiguma felt exhausted.
However, I still reminded Chen to contact me if anything comes up.
She knows the Slums very well, and in certain situations, she's even more effective than the Knights of the Round Table.
"I will."
Chen put down the documents in his hand and rubbed his temples.
There are still too many restrictions, many things don't work well, and manpower is also a problem.
Looking at the still-warm soup in front of her and the two people enjoying it so much, she put the documents aside, picked up the bowl, and took a sip herself.
It's warm and easy to pronounce.
She could probably understand why Hoshiguma and Swire were so interested in that Penguin Logistics person.
If I could eat this kind of delicious food every day, my work efficiency would definitely skyrocket.
After all, she's not a workaholic. She works when she needs to work and relaxes when she needs to relax. She also understands that rest is essential for going the distance.
105 Shirou lacks martial virtue
It has been more than a month since Fuyuki Store opened for business.
Spring is about to leave, and the weather in Lungmen is also preparing to turn warm.
During this month or so, every morning Shirou would get up and run around outside for a while, then go back to his dorm to wash up before preparing breakfast for the Penguin Logistics, and then tidy up his dorm and the dorm upstairs.
Next, we'll go to the Fuyuki Store to prepare lunch and check on the Fuyuki Store's supplies and the children's condition.
As for the shop, it has been fully handed over to Ansuo and a few kids who are interested in business. In addition, with A-Xing being taken out to negotiate some business, the shop's business is doing quite well.
Although it's not exactly a huge hit, at least people can add more meat and vegetables to their meals now, instead of having to tighten their belts to eat like before.
As for the other children who had no interest in business, after discussing with A-Xing, Jie, Hoshiguma, and Ansuo, they decided to find a way to cultivate some skills or interests.
Whether it's cleaning, cooking, or repairing appliances, Shirou will teach you as long as it's reasonable and legal.
This has led to the situation where, whenever Shirou goes to the Fuyuki Store, he first has to teach cooking, and then some things related to repairing electrical appliances.
At least for now, no one in the Fuyuki Store is idle.
When he's busy at the Fuyuki Store until around 3 a. m., Shirou will start buying groceries at the market and then prepare to return to his dormitory at Penguin Logistics.
Unlike the Fuyuki Store, which is already on track and has people assisting with cooking, Shirou is the only one responsible for cooking at the Penguin Logistics Dormitory.
However, Shirou has not forgotten that his real job is with Penguin Logistics, and he basically has no intention of slacking off.
Unless it's the Penguin Logistics team who want to eat out.
However, after Shirou expanded his cooking skill gauge, the group lost their desire to eat out.
After all, the only takeout food the group wanted was fried food, and the Fried Winged Beast Chunk that Shirou had researched online were unanimously approved by everyone.
To Croissant, none of those fancy knock-offs outside can compare to the deliciousness of our Shirou's cooking!
After dinner, it was Shirou's time to rest, but he didn't slack off during this time. Instead, he picked up a book about Oripathy and started reading.
Shirou is still reading the first volume of Mr. Xue, and hasn't even opened the second one yet. This is partly because he has zero background knowledge in this area, so there are many points he doesn't understand.
On the other hand, I'm just too busy, and even if I force myself to read, it's hard to get into the book.
So every day or two, he would switch to watching some cooking videos and news to adjust his state of mind.
After more than a month, Shirou had gotten used to this pace of life.
Aside from long-distance delivery and Penguin Logistics staff taking time off, Shirou basically follows this procedure.
Even during their vacation, the Penguin Logistics team didn't slack off; instead, they trained together at the Penguin Logistics training ground, just like today.
"You're in a hurry."
Shirou, holding two practice swords, addressed Texas, who was holding one practice sword.
The two of them sparring together has become a regular part of their training sessions, with Texas trying to improve her swordsmanship under Shirou.
Shirou, on the other hand, was delighted to have a sparring session to get some exercise.
Although he has no experience in teaching, he can still offer some advice and point out problems.
Are you sure it's not because you suddenly changed your attack method?
In response to Shirou's words, Texas walked to the side, picked up another practice sword, and said...
I don't know how Shirou suddenly learned her swordsmanship, and he was able to fight her on equal terms. Although she was a little unskilled, Shirou's solid foundation always allowed him to subdue her in unexpected ways.
Take the previous example: the two were exchanging attacks, and Texas used her speed advantage to create an opening. As a result, Shirou kicked her away with a side kick.
Don't try to make her swordsmanship look so smooth!
"That... it's just a habit."
Shirou said awkwardly, as the two practice swords in his hands vanished into magic.
"That's too ruthless. Every time I see Toku being beaten up, I feel that Shirou is really ruthless."
Croissant, who was resting on the side and helping to record and watch the show, shook her head as she looked at the video on her phone.
Every time they come here, they first use the equipment to train, and then watch Texas and Shirou's sparring match. Texas also asks them to help record the match so that she can take a good look at where she has any problems when she gets back.
"Croissant... I suggest you rephrase it, otherwise Texas might take her anger out on you if she hears it."