"What are you talking about?" Inuyama Heita asked.
Matsui smiled and leaned close to his ear. "I mean... we're their saviors. Without us, these people would spend their lives in misery, trapped in shackles until the day they died, never able to live for themselves. If you feel sorry for them and want to persuade them to escape the clutches of this 'evil organization,' the Mutual Aid Society, shouldn't you ask what they want? Maybe they don't want to leave. Besides, isn't this fair? They find meaning in life here, and we get our profits. It's a fair trade."
"That's a ridiculous argument," Inuyama Heita said with a frown.
"I'm telling you this because I recognize your abilities, Heita-kun." Matsui stepped back and smiled. "People with potential shouldn't be buried among mediocre nobodies. You're so talented, yet you can only work at a restaurant, scraping by in poverty. It's a crying shame. But that's just how society works. The capable are suppressed by the incompetent. Superiors hold down their subordinates, and seniors hold down their juniors. Even students aren't spared the bullying of upperclassmen, who do it simply because they've been around longer... But things are different here. Those with talent can ultimately show what they're truly capable of, just like you, Heita-kun. Your gifts can help you escape this dull, unremarkable life and let you shine! The Lucky Mutual Aid Society is a fair platform like that. The mediocre can find peace here, the strong can realize their potential, and everyone can find their place..."
"Brilliantly said!" Just as Matsui was about to continue, a voice suddenly cut in.
A pair of cream-smeared hands clasped Matsui's. Qian Xiaoyi said excitedly, "That was so well put, sir! Society is full of people oppressing those of us with talent. Whenever I think about being stuck in a situation like this, I get so angry I tremble all over. Even on a hot day, I break into a cold sweat, and my hands and feet turn icy. How much longer is society going to keep this up? What do those people want us at the bottom to do before they're satisfied?"
Feeling the slippery cream on his hand, Matsui's usually ever-present smile stiffened. He tried to pull his hand away from Qian Xiaoyi, but the man didn't seem to notice and kept gripping it, muttering resentful phrases like "I'm so angry I'm shaking" and "my hands and feet are freezing," while praising the Lucky Mutual Aid Society nonstop.
With a stiff smile, Matsui asked, "May I ask who you are...?" He didn't remember anyone like this in the society. Otherwise, he would definitely have remembered such a gullible sucker... a promising member, the sort who could be won over with just a few words.
A translucent baby's face suddenly appeared in front of Qian Xiaoyi, but Qian Xiaoyi didn't so much as blink. That confirmed for Matsui that the man who'd just ambushed him was an ordinary person.
Qian Xiaoyi panted excitedly. "It's only natural you don't know me, sir. I happened to see your organization's promotional materials online, and that's how I found out about this place. This is my first time attending one of your gatherings, but how do I put it... Ah, it was love at first sight—no, that's not right. Like we've known each other forever? No, that's not it either. Anyway, I just feel like the Lucky Mutual Aid Society and I are a perfect match, like I was born to be here! Those few words you just said really struck a chord with me. Sir, let's go over here and continue discussing how the incompetent government oppresses capable people like us..."
With his cream-smeared hand resting on Matsui's shoulder, Qian Xiaoyi enthusiastically tried to pull him aside for a deeper discussion. Inuyama Heita even saw him discreetly wipe his hand twice on Matsui's clothes, treating the man like a rag.
"No, there's no need." Matsui was genuinely angry now. Though he kept smiling, he stared daggers at the hand on his shoulder and gritted out, "The gathering is about to begin. Whatever you want to discuss, we can talk about it afterward."
A translucent little hand emerged from Matsui's arms and touched the back of Qian Xiaoyi's hand. Qian Xiaoyi shivered and let go of Matsui, leaving stains on his clothes. Looking around in confusion, he asked, "Huh? Did you all just feel a cold breeze? Is the air conditioning set too low?"
"Excuse me." Matsui shot Qian Xiaoyi a look of disgust, pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, and wiped the cream off his clothes. He was about to leave when Qian Xiaoyi's eyes lit up. He rushed over, snatched the handkerchief, and exclaimed, "I'm so sorry! I must've gotten cream on you, right? I was so excited at the time that I didn't notice. I really am terribly sorry! Let me wipe it off for you."
Perhaps the little cakes at the gathering were made with vegetable cream instead of dairy cream. The more carefully Qian Xiaoyi wiped, the more evenly the greasy white stain spread, until it covered a large patch. Matsui hurriedly shoved him away. "Stop! This is an expensive suit!"
"What? I'm so sorry! I'll clean it right away! I'll be more careful this time."
"I told you not to wipe it!"
"I'm great at housework. How about you take the suit off and let me hand-wash it in the restroom? I guarantee it'll look as good as new in no time."
"Don't come any closer! Stop making my clothes even dirtier!"
Watching Matsui flee in a panic, Qian Xiaoyi slipped the man's handkerchief into his pocket and muttered with a pout, "Oh, that blabbermouth finally took off~ All those grand principles, but his head's full of crap. And he calls that an expensive suit."
Noticing Inuyama Heita staring blankly at him, Qian Xiaoyi asked, "What are you looking at? I got some cake on my hand and wanted a rag to wipe it off. Got a problem with that? It's their fault for not putting out any napkins."
After a moment, Inuyama Heita asked, "So what do we do now? We still haven't seen Suzuki."
"I told you, we didn't come together." Qian Xiaoyi continued enjoying the free snacks. "And what else can we do? Eat as much as we can before the gathering starts, and chat with the others while we're at it. We can gather some information, too."
"But we still haven't seen Suzuki..." Inuyama Heita started to say, then turned and saw that Qian Xiaoyi had already joined a nearby group in conversation as if he'd known them forever.
Most of the people around them were adults, and as a high schooler who wasn't good at socializing, Inuyama Heita didn't have the confidence to join in. So he could only quietly nibble on a little cake by himself and wait for the gathering to begin.
Finally, half an hour later, it was nearly time. All the guests who'd come to attend followed their numbered tickets to find their assigned seats among the chairs arranged in the center of the hall. The gathering was about to begin.
Before you continue