Yan Si pointed at Urahara Kisuke:
"Urahara has the technical skills. The base's design and construction, along with installing all the mechanisms and Reishi equipment, will mostly depend on him. We can't involve outsiders in something like this, or it wouldn't be a 'secret' base anymore."
Then he pointed at himself. "So, surely I don't have to cover all the expenses by myself?"
"Hahaha!" Yoruichi laughed heartily and slapped Yan Si on the shoulder. "It's just money! No problem. I'll cover half!"
But before the smile at the corner of Yan Si's mouth could spread, Yoruichi leaned closer, a smile on her face, and lowered her voice:
"Still... since I'm being so generous, we can't make this base too shabby, can we? We'll have to raise the standards across the board!"
She held up her index finger and wagged it in front of Yan Si, speaking as casually as if she were announcing what they would have for dinner:
"So, let's set the initial budget at one hundred million rings."
"One...?" Yan Si's eyes went wide in an instant. He nearly jumped out of his chair.
"Deal!"
Urahara Kisuke roared at the top of his lungs, cutting Yan Si off in mid-sentence!
He trembled with excitement, his eyes turning into ring-shaped coins as he clenched both fists.
"One hundred million to start!!!"
His mind was already filled with gleaming golden rings dancing through the air, and he could almost hear the pleasant clink of countless coins.
One hundred million rings! That was a whole hundred million! It was more than the Twelfth Division had spent on research over decades!
With that kind of money, forget a secret base—I could build an underground palace!
The latest Reishi analyzers, high-precision forging stations... We could get all of it!
Yan Si still tried to protest. "Th-this might be a bit too much..."
Urahara Kisuke lunged forward and grabbed Yan Si's hands in a death grip. His eyes gleamed with utter sincerity and fervor, and his voice trembled.
"Brother Yan Si! Please rest assured! I, Urahara Kisuke, stake my future career in research on this! With enough funding, I'll build you a dream secret base that's fully equipped, utterly impregnable, and sure to satisfy you! I promise!!!"
Looking into Urahara's fiery eyes, and remembering how important this base would be to his writing and training in the future, Yan Si swallowed his objections and reluctantly nodded.
Oh, well... It's going to be a long-term base. Better to invest more now than have problems later.
He took a deep breath, then turned to Yoruichi, who was grinning like a cat that had just stolen a treat, and slowly laid out his condition:
"If we're raising the budget this much... you can't just contribute money."
"Hm?" Yoruichi tilted her head, curiosity in her golden eyes.
Yan Si gave her an I-know-you-understand look.
"For certain 'troublesome matters,' we'll have to ask you, the head of the Shihoin Clan, to 'lend a hand.'"
"After all, we're 'partners' now, aren't we?"
At the heart of Seireitei stood an area surrounded by high walls, utterly unlike the bustle outside.
This was the Nobles' residential district, encircled by the barracks of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads and regarded as the safest place in all of Soul Society.
Of course, to the Nobles who lived here, a "commoner district" like Runlin An was somewhere they wouldn't deign to set foot.
These high walls were more than a physical barrier. They were a chasm between status and class.
Yoruichi Shihōin, current head of one of the Five Noble Houses, was strolling leisurely down the Nobles' shopping street, holding a beautifully bound copy of The Boy in both hands.
Her striking purple hair and carefree manner made her a sight to behold.
As she walked, she deliberately murmured lines from the book in a voice loud enough for the people around her to hear:
"'I bow my head before all the gods...'"
"Tsk." She clicked her tongue softly, her face openly appreciative. "This is... quite good."
Her absorbed, book-loving air naturally piqued the curiosity of the other Nobles women on the street.
What kind of status did the Shihoin Clan hold? If Lady Yoruichi was reading a book so intently, they had to buy a copy and display it in the most prominent spot in their homes, whatever it was about! It was a sign of taste and status!
"Lady Yoruichi..." A cool, slightly worried voice spoke beside her.
The speaker was a petite girl dressed in the style of the Punishment Force—Hachi Saaya.
As the daughter of the lower-ranking Nobles Hachi Clan, she had been tasked from birth with protecting Yoruichi until the end of her life.
Now, her sharp eyes warily scanned every person who tried to approach. Her imposing presence deterred many Nobles women hoping to strike up a conversation.
Yoruichi sighed faintly, her tone tinged with helplessness.
"Shaoling, relax. This is the Nobles' own shopping street. There's no danger here."
She closed The Boy in her hands and deliberately raised the cover, emblazoned with Siwei Yan's flowing signature, for the sidelong glances of those around her to see.
"I just couldn't resist rereading this wonderful book as I walked. Nothing's going to happen."
Though she seemed to be speaking to Hachi Saaya, she was really explaining her unusual "stroll" to the people around them.
"But, Lady Yoruichi..." Hachi Saaya lowered her head slightly in a respectful manner, but her wary eyes didn't relax in the slightest.
Yoruichi looked at the devoted girl beside her, her feelings complicated.
She had always regarded Shaoling as a younger sister, but the rigid rules of the Nobles were a shackle.
If Yoruichi acted too familiar and casual with her in public, it could invite needless gossip and trouble for Shaoling.
Just then, a bright, warm female voice rang out at just the right moment, breaking the slight tension:
"Oh my! Isn't that Lady Yoruichi Shihōin?"
A Nobles woman dressed in finery and radiating dignity hurried over, wearing a suitably delighted smile. She was the first to greet Yoruichi with a formal Nobles' bow.
"It's been so long since I've seen you here!" the woman said, her tone respectful yet friendly.
"Oh, Omaeda Kika. It has been a long time," Yoruichi replied with a familiar smile, as if greeting an old friend.
Omaeda Kika quickly covered her mouth with her sleeve, her voice full of respectful surprise.
"Please, my lady, you're too kind. Kika is the one who hasn't visited you in ages. I'm truly sorry. If you don't mind, I'll bring my daughter Kimi to call on you in a couple of days."
"Hahaha, Kimi? I haven't seen that girl in ages either." Yoruichi smiled and casually raised The Boy in her hand again.
A look of understanding flashed in Omaeda Kika's eyes, and she immediately played along with a perfectly timed gasp.
"Oh my! I didn't expect you to have bought this copy of The Boy too, Lady Yoruichi!"
She raised her voice a little, making sure all the Nobles women listening nearby could hear her clearly.
"To tell the truth, my daughter Kimi and I both adore this book. The writing and the imagery are superb! We came to the shopping street today specifically to buy a few more copies for our collection!"
Yoruichi's face lit up with the delight of finding a kindred spirit.
"Then it's settled. Next time you visit, we can talk about the book. The verses in it are certainly worth savoring."
"I'm deeply honored!" Omaeda Kika's face brightened. "Then I'll take my leave for now. I've heard the book is selling very well, so I'd better hurry to the bookstore before they run out."
Without the slightest hesitation, she bowed again and turned away. Her movements were graceful, but her steps were quick as she headed straight for the most lavishly decorated bookstore.
A short while later, as Yoruichi and Hachi Saaya strolled past the bookstore, they happened to see Omaeda Kika emerge with a stack of brand-new books in her arms. Every cover was unmistakably The Boy!
Inside the bookstore, things were clearly livelier than before. Several Nobles women were asking about or buying the unusual book "recommended by both Lady Yoruichi and Mrs. Omaeda."
Seeing that the desired effect had been achieved, Yoruichi didn't linger. She quietly left the shopping street with Hachi Saaya.
Only after they had walked some distance did Yoruichi bare her teeth in a slight grimace, looking both annoyed and amused.
That damn Yan Si... making me do this kind of thing!
I'll remember this one! You'll get what's coming to you!
Though she was "holding a grudge," the corners of her mouth curved into a pleased smile.
Before you continue