Being a Cosplay Big Shot in the World of Honkai Impact 3rd

Li Pu was after the money. As for reputation, as long as it didn't turn into hatred, it was fine. As long as he could get money within the bounds of the law and school rules, that was enough.

A reputation that wasn't hated was sufficient.

Two hundred thousand was the most important thing.

St. Freya Academy's publicity was truly efficient. The events of the day were reported in the school newspaper, on bulletin boards, and on the school website that same day. The cause, the circumstances, and the investigation of the relevant personnel were all clearly written.

"It's that guy?!"

At the school newspaper stand, Kiana immediately saw the enlarged photo of the honored individual on the newly posted school newspaper and recognized who it was at a glance.

"This guy," Kiana said with a hint of malice, "he didn't happen to be peeping at other girls changing clothes, did he?"

"Kiana!" Mei, standing right beside Kiana, immediately reprimanded her. "That's not a good thing to say."

"Doesn't the school newspaper explain everything clearly? That person just happened to be there."

"Wuwuwu..."

Slightly scolded by Mei, Kiana became a little displeased. "I feel like it's true, so why does Mei always defend that guy?!"

"Isn't it too coincidental?" Kiana said unhappily. "He just happened to be passing by, just happened to hear something, just happened to not close the door, just happened to see something."

"So many coincidences, doesn't that sound a bit too far-fetched?!"

"It's not like writing a novel to create drama."

"Where are there so many coincidences?!"

"But that's how it happened," Mei said. "Maybe it was just that coincidental."

"Hmph hmph hmph~" Seeing that Mei couldn't refute her words well, Kiana narrowed her eyes, thinking she had gained the upper hand in intelligence and discourse. "How is that possible?!"

"I think the biggest coincidence is that he happened to see that scene. As for how he saw it."

"I don't believe he just happened to pass by there and see it."

"..." Mei didn't pick up on Kiana's remark. Her brow gradually furrowed. It seemed she was indeed lacking something to refute Kiana's point.

Although the school newspaper said so, and Mei believed what the school newspaper reported, Mei suddenly felt that Kiana was at least partially correct.

'Coincidence!'

When too many coincidences occurred simultaneously, it gave a sense of 'premeditation.'

The scene described in the report gave Mei a sense of déjà vu. Everything was too coincidental! It was just like when her wallet was found.

Mei didn't consider herself a careless person.

But it was possible to accidentally drop something occasionally.

If that day's event was viewed as an isolated incident, it was indeed more plausible. There were indeed such coincidences in the world. She happened to lose her wallet, happened to be found by someone when she was in a hurry, happened to be returned to her when she was anxious, and the person seemed decent. Besides thanking him, they happened to chat.

After chatting, she learned some details and wanted to help.

Originally, this might have been a chain of events triggered by a coincidence, but something like this happened again in a very short period.

Mei...

Mei also vaguely felt that perhaps, as Kiana said...

It wasn't simple?

Chapter 9: A Person Who Doesn't Look Like a Good Person

"This guy..."

"He doesn't look like a good person at all."

In a street corner, Kiana was squatting there, secretly staring at a young man about a few meters away from her. That young man, named Li Pu, looked about the same age as her.

"I don't believe I can't catch this guy's tail and expose his true colors."

Kiana muttered softly to herself, "How could someone like this be a good person?"

Kiana didn't particularly hate Li Pu. She could only say she had her eye on him. She was willing to admit Mei's judgment of Li Pu – 'This person is not a bad person.' But at the same time, she was unwilling to admit Mei's defense of Li Pu – 'He is a good person.'

What made Kiana most indignant was that even if Li Pu wasn't a bad person and had indeed helped Mei with a small favor.

He was still just an ordinary stranger, and after helping, he pushed Mei down in public.

If she hadn't appeared in time, who knows what would have happened.

Why was Mei still defending that guy?

Kiana was indignant!

Extremely indignant!

After school, she waited for that guy to get off work and then followed Li Pu with her rather clumsy tracking skills. If he wasn't a good person, she would definitely catch him red-handed.

Things like bullying little boys, snatching lollipops from little girls, hitting dogs, or seeing old men and women fall and not helping.

Any one of these would be enough to prove her point.

That guy must have done something bad, and he just happened to encounter it while peeping! After all, it was a matter of life and death; anyone with a conscience wouldn't help.

"So... this guy, hurry up and let me catch something," Kiana said impatiently to Li Pu in a low voice. "Don't tell me this guy is this boring!"

Kiana hadn't seen any results she wanted to see from following him this far.

The guy looked like an ordinary office worker.

He wasn't even as good as an ordinary office worker; after getting off work, he took public transport. It looked like he was going somewhere, then he bought two packs of instant noodles, a sausage, and a plate of eggs at a convenience store.

He also bought a large bag of assorted snacks and several cans of "happy water for otaku" before walking into an old residential complex.

He didn't bully children, steal lollipops or toys, nor did he encounter any elderly ladies who had fallen. He didn't even go to a bar, or an internet cafe.

This guy...

"Is he really an adult?!" Kiana complained, "If he's an adult, shouldn't he go to a bar after work?"

"He doesn't even go to bars, discos, or even movie theaters."

"How boring is this guy's daily life!"

He seemed like a super boring person. Even her teacher, Himeko, would go to a bar, a disco, or even make plans to go to the movies after work.

This guy just went straight home without going anywhere.

"And it's in this kind of old neighborhood..."

Looking at the complex, it was a very old one. It looked like it was built in the 60s or 70s, and had been renovated by now. Both the exterior walls and the environment of the complex didn't seem to match the current era.

Walking in felt like being on a film set telling stories about the 60s and 70s.

The gatekeeper was an old man, sitting in the security room. The old man was wearing old clothes that looked like the 1965 green military uniform. He held a newspaper and wore a pair of gold-rimmed reading glasses. On the table was an enamel mug with a large red flower on it. And if you glanced inside.

There was almost no modern decoration inside.

The floor was smoothed concrete, and the walls behind were simply plastered with lime. A shoulder bag printed with the administrator's avatar and "Serve the People" was hanging on the coat hook on the wall.

"Grandpa~"

Kiana leaned close to the old man, her hands gripping the windowsill like a kitten clinging to the edge of a table, showing a fawning smile as she asked, "Grandpa~ Which unit does Li Pu live in? Which apartment?"

After entering the complex, it was not easy for Kiana to keep following him.

This was an old neighborhood with not much greenery. Even if she was clumsy, Kiana knew that getting too close in a place like this would easily expose her.

She could only go in after Li Pu left her line of sight.

Anyway, he lived here, so he couldn't escape.

"You are..." The old man pushed his gold-rimmed reading glasses up his nose and looked at Kiana. He examined her carefully for a moment and said, "Li Pu... Who?"

"The one who just went in," Kiana said, a little impatiently. "You know, the guy who looked quite young and was carrying a big bag of snacks."

'I have a feeling this guy isn't a good person. He doesn't even know the security guard.'

"Oh..." The old man seemed to understand who she was talking about, but he didn't immediately tell Kiana.

He continued to examine Kiana, his gaze sweeping over Kiana's white hair, her stylish star hair clip, and her blue eyes that looked like she was wearing colored contacts.

Then...

The old man seemed to show a hint of displeasure or even aversion.

But he didn't say anything directly.

"You mean that Little Soldier Boy?" the old man said, unfolding his newspaper and shaking it. "The one who just went in?"

"Mhm, that's him." Kiana didn't know why the old man suddenly seemed a bit disgusted with her, but it seemed he knew who she was talking about. She immediately asked excitedly, "Little Soldier Boy? Why do you call him that?"

He didn't call him by his name, but by such a strange nickname, and looking at the old man's disgusted expression.

This meant it was probably as she had imagined; that guy was indeed not a good person!

"Isn't he just a Little Soldier Boy?" the old man said, seemingly with a proud air. "People who have served in the army are always a bit different from others."

"I can recognize one at a glance."

'Oh... so he just served in the army...' Kiana was immediately a little disappointed.

She thought she might be able to dig up some dirt on him from this old man.

"Then~ Then where does he live?" Kiana still mustered her energy and asked, "Do you know?"

"I don't know." The old man shook his newspaper and said, "I only know he lives here. I don't know exactly where he lives."

"Huh? Really?!" Kiana became a little anxious when the old man said that. "This..."

How could this be?!

Kiana still insisted, "How could you not know?"

"Even if you don't know, I do." The old man didn't look Kiana directly in the eye at all. He glanced at the newspaper and then at Kiana, saying, "Why should I tell you?"

"Who are you to that Little Soldier Boy?" the old man asked. "Are you his girlfriend?"

"If you're his girlfriend, how come you don't know where your boyfriend lives?"

'This girl, she doesn't look like a good girl at all.'

The old man thought to himself, but said aloud, "Grandpa isn't in the intelligence business."

"And even if I knew, why would I tell you?"

Chapter 10: How to be the King of Blankets

Just as Li Pu got home and was about to make noodles, he was called out by the doorman's phone call.

Today he was planning to splurge a little.

He had received a 200,000 bonus from above, although it hadn't arrived yet. The finance department said he'd have to wait until his first official paycheck of the month.

But Li Pu still felt he could afford to be a little extravagant.

He had advanced some of his salary, so he had a little capital to splurge.

Besides buying extra snacks, he even dared to add an extra sausage and two eggs to his instant noodles.

However, this splurge hadn't even begun before he was called out by that doorman's phone call from downstairs.

"Uncle Li."

As soon as he walked into the security booth at the entrance, Li Pu immediately put on a smiling face. He looked particularly enthusiastic, so much so that it bordered on fawning, and said, "What did you call me for?!"

If it were any other security guard, Li Pu wouldn't even spare them a glance.

Well, that was a bit extreme, at least he wouldn't be this eager.

But this security guard was different. This old man wasn't just an ordinary person! From a direct benefit perspective, this old man was his landlord!

The rental process wasn't anything special; he just knew him through a real estate agency.

Apart from the initial contract signed through the agency, subsequent renewals bypassed the agency. One reason was that the old man had a military background, and he could tell at a glance that Li Pu had also served in the military, which was a form of care for his junior. Another reason was that he thought Li Pu was a good person with high credibility.

So, by bypassing the agency, the rent naturally went down a bit.