A Little of Mizuki's Past

"Is this alright?"

Inside Rhodes Island's "Shining Hair Salon," a pink-haired cat-like hairdresser asked somewhat timidly. She was a very cute girl, and upon closer inspection, she even bore a resemblance to Mizuki.

"Hmm, very good, our Rhodes Island's little sparks are still as amazing as ever."

Faced with Huang's praise, Susie blushed with embarrassment, and for a moment she couldn't control herself, the slight electric current stimulating her hair and messing it up again.

"Don't be so shy. You've been at Rhodes Island for so long, you should be more confident. Everyone praises your hairdressing and grooming skills."

"I just did what I was supposed to do. Compared to my brother, I'm still far behind."

"Come to think of it, I've always been curious, Susie, do you have a brother? I don't recall any of your family members being hairdressers when they visited before, right?"

When Susie arrived in Rhodes Island a year ago, her mother was very worried. No one would feel at ease leaving their daughter alone, especially since she Infected. So the whole family came to visit her in person.

Susie was the sixth child in her family, with many siblings and a poor family background. After contracting Oripathy, she did not want to be a burden on her family, so she chose to go out to work. She stayed in Victoria for a while and finally came to Rhodes Island.

"No, I'm the only one in the family who inherited my father's skills. That older brother and I aren't related by blood."

"My brother is amazing. He seems to know everything, and he's very kind to me. He treated me to a meal the first time we met and even introduced me to a hair salon, which is where I used to work."

The first time venturing out into the world was extremely difficult, especially for the still naive Susie. As she walked through the streets of the big city with her worn-out suitcase, the feeling of being rejected and alienated filled her mind. She didn't know how to describe it, and could only look around.

The people coming and going were either busy or laughing. Their happiness and joy, fatigue and stress had nothing to do with her. She had no place to go. In fact, because of her status as Infected, she couldn't even find a job. She had to be careful not to be arrested. She could only go to the Lower City to see if she could find a job.

Then she understood what it meant to be caught in the city's traps. Young Susie first encountered a disabled person selling medicine, and then a lot of begging children. Kind-hearted Susie couldn't bear to see this, and then... she encountered an old lady who was trying to scam people. You know what I mean.

There was even a thief who stole her wallet and then went out of his way to return it to her, with an extra bill inside—enough for her to have dinner.

Then even the money for dinner was stolen.

Penniless and carrying a suitcase, Susie couldn't even afford a meal. She couldn't find a shop willing to hire her, and that night she had to sleep on a park bench. She remembers that the weather was terrible and very cold that day. She was wearing a lot of clothes, but she was still shivering from the cold.

Until that person appeared in front of me, holding an umbrella to shield me from the raindrops that had just fallen.

"This is no good place to sleep; you'll catch a cold."

From that moment on, that blue figure was forever etched in her heart. Susie felt that she had been incredibly naive back then; a young girl sleeping in a place like that was far too careless about safety.

But that was probably the luckiest time of her life. She met her brother and was recommended to work at the hair salon where he worked. The boss was also Infected, so he didn't look down on her. It was then that she realized that as long as there were no crystals on the surface of their bodies, Infected and ordinary people really didn't look any different.

With a stable job, her hairdressing skills have improved significantly under her brother's guidance. She has also learned hair care and tail grooming from him. Now, Susie is a good girl who can take good care of herself no matter where she goes.

She used to cry a bit and seek comfort from her brother when people teased her about being a pink pig, but she also had to stop him from throwing those people who made the jokes into the sewer.

The memory was long, but it only lasted a few seconds. When Susie came to her senses, she was a little embarrassed and quickly apologized to Huang.

"I'm sorry, Miss Huang, I got a little lost in thought."

"It's alright, it seems your brother must have helped you a lot."

"Yes, but my brother is always traveling. He says he wants to find an answer that he believes is right."

Three months into their relationship, Susie woke up to find her brother gone. Before leaving, he had thoroughly cleaned the house, prepared a lavish breakfast for Susie, left some money, and jokingly said he hoped his sister would find a good boyfriend.

"The answer? What question is the answer to?"

He said... he wanted to know how to become a better human being?

This was a rather strange question, but Susie knew that her brother had embarked on this journey for this very reason, and even before answering it, he had another question.

If everyone can become a better human being, what is holding them back?

"Was it your brother who recommended you to Rhodes Island?"

"No, that's not it. I was just thinking about getting treatment for my illness. I was originally planning to buy my own barbershop, but my brother said it would be better if I got treatment first, and that's how Rhodes Island found me."

Susie's Oripathy wasn't severe; she didn't even have crystals on her skin. But at that time, Rhodes Island extended an olive branch to her.

She later learned that since things had stabilized, Rhodes Island had been recruiting talent from all over the world, supposedly at the behest of a certain Doctor.

Do you miss your brother?

"Hmm, I really want to see him. I wonder where Brother Mizuki is traveling now... Sigh."

"Wait a minute, did I just hear someone mention my Mizuki's name?"

Just as Susie and Blaze were talking, Exusiai happened to arrive. Susie is Rhodes Island's best hairdresser, and almost every operator comes here for a haircut or to maintain their tails and horns, so business is booming.

However, when she heard the name "Mizuki, "Exusiai's boyfriend, Radar, reacted instantly; she genuinely hadn't expected to hear Mizuki's name here.

"Miss Exusiai, you... you mean your Mizuki?"

Susie looked at Exusiai with some surprise. Rhodes Island and Penguin Logistics had cooperated before, and Exusiai and the others had all come to Susie's place to get their hair done, but they weren't that familiar with each other.

"Yeah, my boyfriend's name is also Mizuki, oh wait... looking at it this way, you and Mizuki really do look a bit alike."

Mizuki and Susie do look very similar. Not to mention their face shapes, their eyes are practically identical. However, compared to the allure and seductive feeling in Mizuki's eyes, Susie's eyes only have a sense of utter innocence, as if she has suffered some injustice, making people want to hug her.

"But Mizuki is Aegir, and you're Feline... How come you two look so alike?"

"Um, Miss Exusiai, do you know Mizuki -nii?"

"Yes, we've been living together for a long time. Are you her sister?"

"Yes, but not by blood. My brother just took care of me for a long time back then."

Upon hearing this, Exusiai immediately became alert. Others were just conceptually painting her green, but this little cat in front of her could actually dye her hair green!

"Let me confirm first, is the Mizuki you know the same person?"

Exusiai took out her communicator and pulled up a picture of Mizuki just after taking a bath and drying her hair. Exusiai handed it to Susie, who nodded quickly.

"My brother hasn't grown any taller, but his skin seems better than before."

"Really... Then let me ask you another question!" Exusiai stared intently at Susie in front of her, "You really only see Mizuki as a brother, right?"

This question made Susie pause for a moment. Looking at Exusiai's nervous expression, she immediately understood. This was exactly the same feeling that those who had a crush on their brother felt when they saw her holding hands with Mizuki while shopping!

"No, no, my brother and I are really siblings, although I'm a little older than him." (Referring to the fact that the character art was released earlier than the character Mizuki.)

"Heh." Exusiai's face was filled with deep disbelief. "Everyone who cheated on me says they didn't."

Recalling those girls back in Victoria who had feelings for Mizuki and even traveled between two districts to have her cut Mizuki hair, Susie cast a sympathetic glance at Exusiai.

Becoming Mizuki's girlfriend? That's really bold.

Chapter 108 Mizuki's Past

"In conclusion, we need some protection here, and we hope Ms. Lin can help us."

After clearly stating their purpose and casually mentioning Wei Yenwu, the cooperation became much simpler. The Doctor was indeed a skilled negotiator, and besides, Rhodes Island's operation this time was not harmful to the slums of Lungmen; it could even be considered a good deed.

"Since Lord Wei has given his permission, I can't say there's anything inconvenient about it. Rhodes Island has indeed lived up to your creed. I will arrange for people to assist your operation, which of course includes another matter."

As the manager of Lungmen's underground network, Lin Yuxia couldn't possibly have been unaware of Rhodes Island's affairs from Wei Yenwu. Naturally, she also knew the inside story of Rhodes Island's cooperation with the Reunion. Therefore, she needed to deliberately relax the surveillance of certain secret passages to make it easier for the Reunion members to come.

The thought that the stubborn and brave Talulah of the past had now embarked on such a path surprised Lin Yuxia, but also made it seem natural, because that was the kind of person Talulah was—upright, brave, and never backing down.

Her enemy is Ursus, or rather, all the injustices of this land. Fate has placed hardship on her shoulders, but she responds with fire, determined to burn all the rotten wood to ashes and light torches in the darkness.

(Let's just consider it repaying the favor she did for me when I was a kid, by beating up that guy.)

Lin Yuxia thought to herself, and of course, she also wanted to see Talulah, but this time it seemed that it was Talulah's close friend who had come.

"Then I wish us a pleasant cooperation?"

"It's a pleasure doing business with you."

After shaking hands, Lin Yuxia turned around and needed to start preparations. Rhodes Island wanted to conduct free medical clinics in the slums, and this news needed to be spread in advance. Those unscrupulous clinic doctors would definitely have a lot of opinions, and she needed to give them a warning.

And those flies that like to cause trouble need to be warned to restrain their subordinates. Lin Yuxia remembers that Wei Yenwu had given a clear warning not to have any conflict with Mizuki, although she didn't know if it was because of him personally or the Emperor behind him.

"But there's one thing I need to make clear beforehand: although I will do my best to maintain order, you all know the people in the slums."

"Don't worry," the Doctor said with a bright smile. "The free clinic stems from morality and conscience, not any obligation. Besides medicine and medical supplies, Rhodes Island also provides armed security services, so hopefully we won't need them."

Indeed, Rhodes Island is dedicated to saving every life, doing its best even if its strength is insignificant. But that doesn't mean Rhodes Island is some kind of saintly organization. Which of our Elite Operator hasn't seen blood? Even the reserve team members have participated in battles.

Miss Doctor is indeed a kind person, but she is even more protective of her own. This protectiveness is ingrained in her bones; as long as her side is in the right, she will never suffer a loss.

"It seems I was overthinking it."

Lin Yuxia was somewhat surprised that this person, who seemed to have no outstanding qualities other than her chest, was so straightforward. However, what she didn't know was that the Doctor was currently thinking: Lin Yuxia is really soft-hearted. Maybe we should just have Mizuki knock her out and tie her up, taking her back to Rhodes Island.

Ch'en was still upset that Lin Yuxia had hung up on her but rushed over from home in just three minutes for Mizuki, all for playing a game?!

Mizuki comforted her for a long time before she calmed down a bit. Lin Yuxia, on the other hand, felt that there was something wrong with the relationship between Mizuki and Ch'en. It was as if Mizuki was comforting her girlfriend who was depressed because she had gained weight.

(Exusiai & Muelsyse: Are you being polite?)

"Alright, the collaboration is over. Now it's our turn!"

Looking at Mizuki, Lin Yuxia's eyes couldn't help but show a fighting spirit. Last time, Mizuki let her win several times, which helped the girl regain her confidence. Mizuki couldn't bear to shatter it.

"So you two really met through video games?"

"Yeah, we sparred online a bit before, and I thought she was the one who 'Beats Up the Intestine Dragon'."

When Mizuki first met Lin Yuxia, he was a little confused. At the time, he subconsciously thought that she was Miss Swire, who had lost 300,000 to him and was planning to treat him to dinner. It was only after Exusiai and the others Exusiai who was called Pink Intestine Dragon that they told Mizuki this identity.

However, after hearing Mizuki's words, Ch'en was also stunned. As a police superintendent, she was quick-witted and used to investigating various cases. Swire had been quite busy lately and didn't play games much. The only time she touched a game console was when she tricked her into playing with a certain player a while ago and got beaten up. Of course, Ch'en herself also got beaten up.

"So you are Izumikun?"

"Yes, Sister Chen, how did you know?"

"..."

Ch'en didn't want to answer. She couldn't very well say that she had been thoroughly beaten by him for over half an hour without winning once. No wonder Lin Yuxia was so obsessed with Mizuki. She had obviously been thoroughly thrashed for a long time. This girl may be indifferent, but she was also really arrogant. Mizuki probably shattered her Dao heart.

"What, you two are really not boyfriend and girlfriend?"

"Of course not, my girlfriend is..."

"That's right, it is I!"

The Doctor patted her chest, which was big enough to be a guest ship girl in the Azur Lane world, and then Mizuki tapped her on the head, not hard.

"Don't listen to the Doctor's nonsense. Sister Lin should know her too. My girlfriend is... ah, wait a minute, I need to take this call."

Seeing the tentacles take out their communicators and point to the notes on them, Mizuki answered Exusiai's call.

"Hey, what's up, Xiao Le? I'm outside, I'll be back in a bit. By the way, would you like something to eat?"

"Get me some snacks! From that Laterano dessert shop on the commercial street. The owner's from Laterano, the taste is authentic... wait, that's not what I meant, Mizuki! I found your sister!"

These words startled Mizuki so much that he stood up abruptly from his chair, even stopping his tentacles from moving.

You mean my sister?

"That's right! Your sister, although not your biological sister, looks just like you, especially her eyes. Anyway, it's hard to explain over the phone, so come back quickly, and remember my snacks!"

Exusiai was probably a bit anxious and excited, and she hung up the phone. However, the fact that she still remembered her snacks at the end was a bit too much in line with everyone's stereotype of her.

"My sister..."

Mizuki couldn't help but cover his head; the memory was triggered, causing his brain to ache. The tentacles caught the communicator before it fell and rubbed his temples, though it didn't seem to help much.

A younger sister? Mizuki doesn't remember having a younger sister. No, wait, she seems to have had one... Her name was something like La, hmm, I think it was Raffaella. Right, that girl also called her brother, but she and Mizuki don't look alike.

So she must have been someone I met a year before I lost my memory. If that's the case, maybe this sister I have no recollection of knows a lot about me.

"I'm sorry, Sister Lin, I need to go back first. I'll let you know when I have time."

The situation changed a bit quickly, but it wasn't incomprehensible. Lin Yuxia didn't think anything of it and just treated it as if she was there to do serious business. However, she suddenly realized who Mizuki's girlfriend was and looked at him and Ch'en with a strange expression.

"Actually, I think Ch'en isn't bad compared to Exusiai."

"You damn pink-haired rat, if you've got the guts, don't sleep so soundly in the middle of the night, or I'll set off firecrackers in your bedroom!"

"You unwanted, slovenly girl, how dare you say that? Every time you lit firecrackers during Chinese New Year, didn't you throw them right at my feet?!"

Seeing that these two sworn enemies were about to start arguing again, Miss Doctor quickly pulled away Mizuki, who was about to mediate, because she knew very well that no matter how fiercely these two argued, they would never actually fight; they were just used to bickering since they were little.

However, we still need to find a way to lure Ch'en and Lin Yuxia to Rhodes Island. Although their strength in the game (excluding the water-based Chen who kidnapped her mother) is not top-notch, this is the real Ark world. Lin Yuxia and Ch'en are definitely at the level of Elite Operator. Besides, Ch'en is a princess in Great Yan.

There's also Swire. It wouldn't be bad to lure her to Rhodes Island and have this young lady become a sponsor of Rhodes Island. It's a pity that Wei Yenwu can't be lured away. That guy's combat power is definitely top-tier. He can easily beat Ch'en with one hand.

However, Rhodes Island has Mizuki, so he can use even a single tentacle.

"Doctor, actually I've been wanting to ask this for a while now, no, I should have asked it the moment I met you."

As Mizuki was led away by the Doctor, she didn't forget to bring some snacks for Exusiai; after all, she was her girlfriend, and she couldn't let her go hungry.

"You want to ask me if I know about your past?"