"Coastal Island District!"
In the activity room of the Psychological Recovery Department, Luorou walks excitedly, getting close to Alister, clearly very happy.
"Really? We can go to the coastal area?!" Her eyes blink rapidly.
On the other hand, Alister remains calm, dealing with documents, and reluctantly replies, "Indeed, it's the coastal island district. You heard right."
"Really, it's the coastal area?!"
"Really."
"Really?"
"Uh..."
In the next moment, Luorou quickly jumps onto the sofa, hugging a pillow, daydreaming about the upcoming trip.
"Coastal area? Unbelievable, it's incredible!"
"Do you have to be this happy?" Alister puts away the documents.
The outside is bathed in warm sunlight, and the huge posters on the opposite building sway gently in the wind, resembling waves on the beach.
"The coastal island district, huh? It's a place only wealthy people can afford to go. I heard the average cost per person is tens of thousands!" Luorou looks at Alister with shimmering eyes, filled with genuine excitement.
So, Alister doesn't bother her and focuses on his own work.
For example, reading world-renowned literature or chatting leisurely with Yumikou.
On the coffee table, a glass of fruit juice.
The delicate girl with blue hair sits elegantly, holding the teacup, sipping gently, savoring the sweetness.
"Humhumhum~?" Luorou swings her soft, white, lace-clad legs.
In her eyes, it seems like everything in the world is beautiful.
Alister might be one of the reasons, as the "Hypnosis Iris" left Luorou with nothing but beautiful memories of the meteor shower night.
Where there is power, there will be conflicts, just like the negotiation between the Ji Group and the Dawn Consortium this time.
Maybe Luorou doesn't need to grow, Alister suddenly thinks.
...
...
On the way home, Alister encounters a strange incident on the street. A group of people gathers at a corner, talking animatedly.
Curious, Alister approaches to see what's happening.
In the center of the crowd, on a not-so-clean spot, lies a precious white porcelain shattered all over the ground...
"Come and have a look, this person broke my antique vase and refuses to pay, acting tyrannical!"
"When did I touch you? Don't falsely accuse me!"
A plainly dressed woman and Fujitani Nisuke confront each other, insisting that he compensates for the loss.
"Fixed price, 80,000!"
"I 80— #%&@$!"
Alister sighs, coming to Fujitani Nisuke's side, and asks, "What's going on?"
"Alister, you came at the right time!" Fujitani Nisuke snorts and says in a serious tone, "This woman tried to swindle me!"
"Swindle you?" Alister looks at the angry woman.
"I was just passing by, walking right here, and then—"
Fujitani Nisuke recalls the scene and demonstrates the woman stumbling, vividly portraying the situation.
"—this woman was carrying a cardboard box, and she screamed and fell!"
The woman rushes over and says indignantly, "Who screamed? What did you say?!"
"Uh, uh, uh, don't get physical." The people around try to calm her down.
"—Then this woman pounced on the broken porcelain and shouted: antique! Antique!! 80,000!!!"
Fujitani Nisuke dramatically imitates her, then returns to a serious expression, facing the woman without yielding.
"80,000 yuan is already a bargain for you!" The woman crosses her arms, disdainful.
Sigh, another trouble...
Without evidence, Alister can't take sides based solely on one person's words and decides to find his own position.
"Was this pile of broken porcelain moved by anyone?" Alister looks at Fujitani Nisuke.
"No," Fujitani Nisuke confirms firmly.
Then Alister turns to the woman, who remains silent, looking disdainful, indicating that she agrees with this fact.
Using "Extreme Five Senses," Alister perceives all the broken porcelain pieces, then starts investigating.
He collects the pieces and carefully reconstructs the vase in front of everyone, showcasing a portion of the process.
Everyone watches in awe as they witness the boy meticulously and correctly piecing together the vase.
After a while, in the silence of the crowd, Alister finishes the demonstration and calmly says, "Okay, everyone, I think we have the answer."
Although he only pieced together a part of the vase, everyone can clearly see that it's not complete; there's a large missing piece.
—The vase was already incomplete.
"Ceramic items rarely end up incomplete; once broken, they usually become fragments," Alister exposes the woman, "meaning this vase was already broken."
The implication is clear; the woman tried to frame Fujitani Nisuke with an item that was already in pieces.
"How dare you assume all the fragments are present? What if a few fell into the sewer?" The woman panics but keeps defending herself.
However, no one believes her words anymore, as they have all seen the clear evidence of the broken vase. Similar cases of scams for money can also be found online.
"It's up to you to think whatever you want, just stop embarrassing yourself here," Alister leaves calmly, and Fujitani Nisuke follows him, giving the woman a final stern look, finally freeing himself from this pointless trouble.
Passing under an elevated bridge, shadows block the evening glow of the neon lights, concealing Fujitani Nisuke's face.
"Darn, I really want to pick up that woman and question her about who taught her manners!"
He scratches his hair vigorously, still frustrated.
"Recklessly resorting to violence may result in being accused of harassment, damaging your reputation," Alister reminds him.
"Oh, luckily, I didn't lay a hand on her," Fujitani Nisuke sighs.
After a few minutes of silence, the two walk together on the streets of A City, passing through lush greenery.
"Alister, you're a player, right?"
Suddenly, Fujitani Nisuke speaks up, revealing his Sequence Title.
"Why do you say that?" Alister stops and locks eyes with him.
"I mean, you're an A-rank powerhouse, an early graduate of A University, and have this restoration talent..."
Fujitani Nisuke looks troubled, then gives Alister a serious gaze, saying, "Saying you're not a player, I'm afraid no one would believe it."
"Since when did you start suspecting?" Alister admits.
As an A-rank powerhouse, Fujitani Nisuke's observational skills are naturally beyond ordinary, and Alister had already anticipated this.
"I had a vague sense of it when we went for barbecue that day."
"But well, observing you for so long, your aura seems..." Fujitani Nisuke tries to probe, "E-rank?"
"Yes, E-rank," Alister says calmly.
Hearing this, Fujitani Nisuke lowers his head and seems to be enduring something.
Alister frowns, takes a few steps, and looks at him. "What's wrong?"
Fujitani Nisuke places a hand on Alister's shoulder, raising his head, and nonchalantly sweeps aside his messy hair.
He reveals an expression of pride, chuckling, "Do you know... what my A-rank title represents?"
— "62nd in A-rank."
Looking at Fujitani Nisuke's exaggerated confident act, Alister can't help but be speechless.
"Okay, okay, I know you're A-rank, the great master with a day job."
As Alister predicted that day, Fujitani Nisuke is Evil Annihilation, and the truth is now clear.
"Hahaha!"
Fujitani Nisuke becomes even prouder, crossing his arms and making an extravagant gesture.
"That's right, I am—the man of A-rank!"
Next, he seems to want to regain his lost reputation from his previous defeat in the one-on-one fight with the Empress, proudly saying, "They call me the ruler of A-rank 62nd, the invincible ultimate expert, awesome and formidable!"
"She also said she'd take me to the coastal island district for a trip, with expenses reimbursed." Alister bids a simple farewell.
"..."
Fujitani Nisuke stands there silently.
He takes out a cigarette, lights it with a lighter, then looks up at the sky, sighing deeply.
The retiring salaryman in his brown-yellow coat appears forlorn and negative.
"Are you alright?"
Watching him skillfully blow smoke rings, Alister raises an eyebrow.
"V me 50, thanks," Fujitani Nisuke laments due to his poverty, "Ah... this damn materialistic world..."
In his profound eyes, the image of the runaway minister giving him a thumbs-up and the debt of the heart-rending, eye-watering amount...
...and that Ultraman friend who ran away with his saved money.
Sigh... when material life is like this, what's the point of raising spirits to eliminate emotional aggregators...
Fujitani Nisuke thinks with such melancholy.