Lucky Mutual Aid Society (16)

Inuyama Heita thought carefully and asked, "But Matsui himself has a little ghost on him, and he can command that little ghost to influence others..."

Qian Xiaoyi said, "After a long time, people who raise little ghosts have their life force reduced to a certain extent, and they can also establish a certain connection with it. He might know how to raise little ghosts, but the actual operation still requires the assistance of a real psychic, otherwise it would be too dangerous. And if Matsui were also a psychic, he wouldn't need unstable factors like Harada Taro; he could do it himself. He complained to me when we were drinking that without him, the entire 'project' would collapse, and he was the core maintaining the 'operation of the project.' This means Matsui can't do without him."

"What happened next? Did he say anything else?" Inuyama Heita asked.

Qian Xiaoyi waved his hand, "It was nothing more than complaints, saying that the other party made all sorts of demands on him, like he was a slave, and even called himself a benefactor or something. He's been annoyed with him for a long time."

"Because of this attitude, Matsui took a liking to me..." Inuyama Heita nodded, and some of his doubts were finally cleared up.

"Then, it's about time, you have to go to work, right?" Qian Xiaoyi stretched: "I also have to go entertain guests and see if I can get more information... Honestly, if it weren't for work, who would want to drink? I'm going to spend a lot of money today. If I treat them a few more times, I'm afraid I'll go bankrupt." Although he hadn't earned much since coming to Japan, Qian Xiaoyi had saved some money in China, which was enough for a few drinks.

Inuyama Heita perfunctorily said, "You've worked hard."

"Ha, anyway, you be careful too," Qian Xiaoyi said, "Once you've gathered information on those high-level members, we can start the next step."

"Got it," Inuyama Heita nodded.

The two left the office one after another and headed to their respective destinations.

When he returned home after finishing his part-time job in the evening, Inuyama Heita surprisingly ran into the two thugs who had extorted him. He was startled, but then the two of them, with mournful faces, kept apologizing to him and returned his money. It made him curious about what had happened to them, but Inuyama Heita didn't care anymore. It was just Matsui's arrangement. Even after the thugs left, Matsui "coincidentally" called him, pretending to ask if the two thugs had returned his money. After Inuyama Heita responded, suppressing his disgust, Matsui emphasized that he must be on time tomorrow and then hung up.

The next day after school, Inuyama Heita followed the address given by Matsui and arrived in front of a bar called "Blue Note" on a commercial street in Roppongi. A "Closed" sign was hanging on the bar door, as it wasn't time for the bar to open yet. However, the door was unlocked, so Inuyama Heita took a deep breath and pushed the door open.

The wind chime that rang as the door opened caused the people inside to stop talking and look towards the entrance, which made Inuyama Heita a little nervous.

"A-la-la~ It's little Inuyama, welcome to my humble establishment," a charming male voice rang out. Inuyama Heita looked in the direction of the voice and saw the enthusiastic "big sister" who had surrounded the thugs that day, wiping a glass behind the bar. "Big sister" is a unique cultural phenomenon in Japan, referring to men who identify as women. They have appeared in mainstream public view since the last century, with concepts decades ahead of Europe and America. The "big sister" at the Blue Note bar was well-built, likely from a lot of gym time, but wore heavy makeup and a women's kimono, which was somewhat jarring to look at.

"H-hello," Inuyama Heita stammered, feeling nervous with so many people staring at him. Thinking that he was actually an undercover agent, and with so many people around, he still couldn't breathe normally.

It was the "big sister" who eased the situation: "Everyone, don't look at him like that, boys can be shy too~ Inuyama-kun, you're still a student, you can't drink, what a shame. The craft beer here is a specialty. Here, this is for you. Let's wait for Mr. Matsui together."

He mixed an alcohol-free cocktail for Inuyama Heita. Inuyama Heita quietly said thank you, took the drink, and sat in a corner. The others stopped paying attention to him and continued chatting in small groups. Just as Inuyama Heita breathed a sigh of relief, he suddenly felt like he was being stared at. He turned around and saw another familiar figure.

"Stare~" In the booth not far behind him, Suzuki narrowed her eyes and looked at him scrutinizingly.

Inuyama Heita stiffened, not expecting his classmate to be here. Was this not the so-called gathering of high-level members?

With that thought, Inuyama Heita scanned the other people and noticed something strange. On the skin behind their collars, they all had one or two dark handprints, which were very eerie. There was even a person with an infant covered in black blood vessels clinging to their back, sending a chill down his spine.

"I see... So, the so-called high-level members are actually people who have already held the lucky ritual and obtained a little ghost?" Inuyama Heita thought, and then became more nervous. This was like walking into a devil's den.

"Hey, why are you here?" Suzuki sat down opposite him, glanced around, and then whispered, "Didn't I tell you not to contact these people anymore? These guys have all been tricked. You don't actually believe in the idea of changing luck, do you?"

"Aren't you here too?" Inuyama Heita retorted.

"My mom forced me to come," Suzuki said with a headache. "She's watching me from the coffee shop across the street. If I don't come, she'll start crying and making a fuss. It's so annoying... No, don't change the subject. You haven't told me why you're here."

"It's none of your business," Inuyama Heita didn't know how to answer her, so he lowered his head and drank his beverage, intending to play dumb while also listening to conversations around him. He hadn't forgotten his mission. Qian Xiaoyi's task for him was to collect information on other high-level members.

"You don't actually believe it, do you?" Suzuki's gaze behind her glasses became somewhat helpless. "Changing luck or anything, there's no scientific basis for it at all..."

"I don't believe it," Inuyama Heita refuted.

"Then why are you here?"

"It's none of your business."

"You..."

As they were bickering, the wind chime rang, and the bar door was pushed open again. Matsui entered with a smile, saying, "It seems everyone is here~ Please wait a moment. Before we begin, I have a few things to discuss with Inuyama-kun... Inuyama-kun, please come with me. Maria, could I borrow the room inside?"

"Oh dear, I told you to just call me Little Maria," the "big sister" said shyly. "Being in a room alone with a boy, don't do anything strange, okay? Hehehe, just kidding. Anyway, there are no customers right now, so Mr. Matsui, please feel free to use it."

Inuyama Heita stood up and followed Matsui to the private room inside. Suzuki adjusted her glasses and frowned, watching them enter the room with a confused expression.