The orange-haired girl had a peach-colored scarf around her neck.
From the back, under slightly broad shoulder bones, the slender waist was cinched by a belt, emphasizing her voluptuous body.
Her actions and words vividly portrayed her bold personality.
"Hey, boss, where's my drink!"
She raised her left arm and slammed the bar counter. "Are you worried that I can't pay, huh?!"
On the opposite side of the bar.
A middle-aged man with a mustache rubbed his hands together, smiling awkwardly as if anticipating trouble.
"Rangiku-sama, you haven't paid last month's tab yet. Maybe you should drink a bit less..."
The cheeks of Matsumoto Rangiku turned rosy as she slammed the table and pointed angrily at the bartender. "Stop the nonsense! If you don't bring me the drink, I'll shut down your pub!"
Watching the commotion unfold, Tokikaze's eyes couldn't help but twitch.
Suddenly, he had doubts regarding his idea.
Matsumoto Rangiku seemed to be quite used to abusing authority.
She blatantly misused her authority as the Vice-Captain of the 10th Division, even though the owner of this pub was a lower-ranking noble.
Facing Matsumoto Rangiku's threat, the man had a troubled expression. He stammered a few times but dared not argue.
He was just an ordinary soul.
He was not even on the same level as regular Soul Reapers, let alone a Vice-Captain.
"Her drink tab, for now, put it on my account."
Tokikaze walked out from behind, smoothly pulled out a chair, and sat next to Matsumoto Rangiku.
"It's you!"
Matsumoto Rangiku glanced at Tokikaze, gloating, "It's pretty audacious of you to have a drink here instead of dealing with the paperworks in the 9th Division."
The pub owner naturally recognized this important customer, and his sullen face was immediately filled with smiles when Tokikaze came.
"Yes, Lord Tokikaze."
Tokikaze took the glass handed to him by the owner and calmly said:
"It can wait. More importantly, do you still remember the promise you made to me last time?"
Upon hearing his words.
Matsumoto Rangiku's rosy face showed rare signs of guilt.
"W-What promise..."
Tokikaze shook his head in disapproval. "Rangiku, running away won't solve the problem."
"Forget about the bet for a moment, your tab alone will take at least ten years to pay with your salary, assuming you don't eat or drink."
(It's worth mentioning that the monthly salary of an ordinary Soul Reaper, when converted to yen, is roughly around 200,000, barely enough to support a family. Only Seated Officers would be somewhat wealthier.)
As the Vice-Captain of 10th Division, Matsumoto Rangiku naturally received quite a lot of salary.
However, her excessive love for alcohol and luxury items, such as the scarf that she was wearing, which cost her half a year's salary, left her financially struggling.
In addition, Tokikaze deliberately spoiled her, leading her to consume only the finest and most expensive drinks.
Financially, it was beyond her means.
As for Tokikaze's purpose in doing this, it was straightforward.
He was after her bo….
Ahem, in short, Tokikaze used the simplest trap, and Matsumoto Rangiku willingly jumped into the trap.
As for how the two met.
That relied entirely on Tokikaze's intuition.
With the influence of the Tsunayashiro Family, finding Matsumoto Rangiku in Rukongai wasn't a difficult task.
The main point was to intercept her.
The two had known each other for quite some time, with Matsumoto Rangiku entering the Shin'o Academy a few years earlier than him.
"Quiet down for a bit!"
Matsumoto Rangiku chugged the newly poured drink in one gulp, suddenly getting close to Tokikaze, staring directly into his eyes. The beauty mark on her lips was particularly eye-catching.
"I just have to switch Division, right?"
"If you can get Captain Shiba to agree, I have no objection."
Due to Matsumoto Rangiku joining Gotei 13 earlier, she chose the 10th Division and being how talented she was, she quickly became the Vice-Captain.
Even before entering the Shin'o Academy, she had already made a promise with Tokikaze.
If one day Tokikaze became a Captain, she would assist him and become his Vice-Captain.
"I think you should be able to handle it yourself."
Tokikaze grinned.
"The salary of 9th Division's Vice-Captain is ten times your salary by the way..."
At that very moment, Matsumoto Rangiku widened her beautiful eyes, and her crystal-clear eyes seemed to sparkle.
After a moment, she took a deep breath and said firmly:
"I'll go and submit a transfer request to Captain Shiba right away!"
With that, Matsumoto Rangiku even disappeared from the pub in a flash using Shunpo.
Observing the direction she disappeared towards, it was indeed the direction of the Seireitei.
Tokikaze didn't care about money.
After all, as the head of one of the Four Great Noble Families, wealth was the most useless yet most abundant thing.
At least, that was how Tokikaze saw it.
It was precisely because of this status that he could indulge himself in this bustling Junrinan.
Just for an information, the hairpin he used was a proof that he was a noble, and it was no less valuable than the scarf that was passed down through generations in Kuchiki Clan.
In terms of actual price, it should be enough to build ten manors.
To him, ten times the salary of a Vice-Captain was just a drop in the bucket.
Of course, in Tokikaze's eyes, this was a very cost-effective deal.
In Gotei 13, the role of the Vice-Captain to the Captain was akin to that of a secretary.
As the saying goes, when there was a job, the secretary handled it, and when there was none, ahem...
Tokikaze restrained some perverted ideas he had and looked behind the counter.
"What are you waiting for?"
"Do I have to personally invite Lady Kikucho?"
The mustached pub owner suddenly snapped back to reality, nodding and bowing flatteringly. "Please wait a moment, Lord Kikucho will be here soon."
As he spoke, he didn't forget to take out a precious sake from under the counter.
Someone of Tokikaze's stature deserved such treatment.
When dealing with Tokikaze, he must be respectful and handle things cautiously.
The class difference between nobles was even clearer than the class difference between commoners and nobles.
...
10th Division Barracks.
Captain's office.
Shiba Isshin was scratching the new stubble on his chin when he looked at the transfer application on the table with a puzzled expression.
"What the heck happened?"
"I just had a drink, and my Vice-Captain is gone?!"