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Chapter 343 Sonozaki Sisters
At this moment, the museum's pursuers arrived one after another. Several speedboats kicked up white sprays of water on the sea and quickly approached the boat where Taira no Takumi and Sento were.

The lead speedboat slowly came to a stop, and the tall and slender Sonosaki Saeko walked slowly to the edge of the speedboat.

She wore an elegant and exquisite long dress, her face was beautiful but with a hint of coldness and arrogance. Her sharp gaze swept over the two people on the ship and quickly landed on the ocean memory device tightly held in the stern.

"You are"

Saeko Sonozaki frowned slightly, her tone tinged with wariness and hostility.

Onoue Takumi calmly raised his head, his expression composed and indifferent.
"Please contact Mr. Ryūbei first. We are the investors in the museum and special envoys of Foundation X."

Upon hearing the words "X Foundation," Saeko Sonozaki's previously icy expression softened slightly.

Foundation X is, after all, one of the museum's largest funders and partners. Despite the open and covert struggles between the two parties, they still maintain the necessary etiquette and cooperative attitude on the surface.

However, just as Saeko was about to ask further questions, her gaze inadvertently met that of Takumi Onoue.

In an instant, her heart skipped a beat.

It was an extremely strange feeling; even though this was the first time they had met, they felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity with the man before them.
It's as if a long-forgotten fragment of memory is quietly surfacing in my mind, bringing a subtle yet familiar stirring.

Saeko Sonozaki was stunned and remained silent for a long time.

She gazed at the calm and composed young man before her, her mind racing to recall if she had seen him before.
But ultimately, he had no clue what to do and could only silently suppress this strange feeling in his heart.

Not only Sonosaki Saeko, but even Onoue Takumi himself vaguely sensed a strange emotion welling up in his heart.

He glanced at Saeko in front of him, a hint of doubt and confusion flashing across his brows.

Even though it was the first time I met her, I always felt that somewhere, at some point, I might have already crossed paths with this woman.

After a brief silence, Onoue Takumi broke the eerie stillness by speaking first, his tone gentle and polite.

"How about I keep this memory for you for the time being?"

Saeko Sonozaki was taken aback for a moment, and surprisingly did not refuse. She hesitated for a moment, then slowly nodded, her tone becoming gentler.

"Well, since you are the representative of Foundation X, then you can keep it for the time being."

The museum staff behind her looked at each other, but none of them dared to question Saeko's decision.

After all, she was the eldest daughter of the Sonozaki family and one of the important managers of the museum under Ryubei, so no one dared to say anything.

On the way back to the museum, Saeko Sonozaki remained silent.

She was preoccupied, gazing thoughtfully out the window, her fingers gently stroking the pattern on the hem of her skirt, occasionally stealing glances at Takumi Onoue.

In that gaze, besides curiosity, there seemed to be a hint of undisguised emotion and complexity.

The strange scene quickly alerted the nearby War Rabbit to something amiss.

He cautiously approached Onoue Takumi, lowered his voice, and asked in a teasing and mocking tone, "Hey, tell me honestly, is there some special relationship between you and this guy?"

Onoue Takumi was slightly taken aback, then frowned and retorted in a low voice, somewhat amused and exasperated, "Don't talk nonsense. I only met her for the first time today. What could possibly be between us?"

Zhan Tu glanced at him sideways, his eyes full of suspicion, clearly not believing this simple explanation: "Do you even believe it yourself? I could feel the strange atmosphere between you two just now."

Onoue Takumi shook his head slightly, but his heart was once again filled with confusion.

He himself could not explain the brief yet intense feeling of unease he had just experienced; it seemed that, in some mysterious way, he did indeed have some inexplicable connection with Sonozaki Saeko.

Back at the Sonozaki family mansion, the main building of the museum is magnificent and solemn, with a typical classical European style.

Within Foundation X, there has always been considerable criticism of the museum. This is because the museum controls the research on memory, but has never truly addressed the compatibility issue rigorously.

As the person in charge of the museum, Sonozaki Ryubei is stubborn and arrogant. She always ignores the importance of memory compatibility and arbitrarily distributes memory to her subordinates, resulting in many memory data being unable to be obtained accurately and effectively, which seriously interferes with the plans of Foundation X.

Before leaving, Mando Yukishi repeatedly reminded Onoue Takumi and Sento to be careful in dealing with the stubborn old man Sonozaki Ryubei.

They possess extremely valuable core resources such as the Spring and the Wind of Data. These are indispensable assets for both the museum itself and Consortium X.

As Onoue Takumi and Sento entered the mansion, Sonozaki Saeko turned back to look at him, her expression carrying a subtle mix of reluctance and anticipation: "If you need anything, feel free to contact me anytime."

"Thank you."

Saeko Sonozaki's voice was as soft as a feather, carrying a subtle warmth.

She nodded slightly and turned away gently.

Her long hair arced through the air, and a fragrance lingered around Qiao's nose.

Just as he was about to leave, Onoue Takumi seemed to subconsciously call out, "Um..."

Sonozaki Saeko paused slightly and turned around: "What's wrong?"

"I have a feeling that we've known each other before."

Upon hearing this, Saeko Sonozaki couldn't help but smile and chuckle, "Isn't this kind of way of striking up a conversation a bit too old-fashioned?"

Onoue Takumi's words touched a corner of her heart, and an indescribable sense of familiarity arose in her heart.

That feeling was delicate and wonderful, yet it could still easily touch each other's heartstrings.

"Yeah, it's really old-fashioned."

Onoue Takumi chuckled softly, his gaze meeting hers.

"However, I have the same feeling. It's like we used to look at the stars together."

She herself was surprised when she said those words.

Perhaps it was because that scene had been etched in her heart for a long time, or perhaps it was because Takumi Onoue's gaze was too familiar, that she inadvertently revealed her soft side.

Onoue Takumi was amused by her sudden analogy: "Your analogy isn't much better, it's still just as old-fashioned. How did you even come up with something like looking at the stars?"

"I was just expressing my feelings."

Saeko Sonozaki glanced at him with a look that seemed both angry and pleased.

After a brief silence, the two of them looked at each other and smiled simultaneously.

Not far away, Zhan Tu stared at this strange interaction with a dumbfounded expression, as if the story unfolding before his eyes was beyond his comprehension.

He scratched his head in confusion, muttering to himself, "When did our relationship become so good?"

A certain unspoken understanding. Time seemed to stand still at that moment, and then Saeko left with a smile.

With the arrival of the Foundation X envoy, the museum was clearly caught up in a rare flurry of activity.

Although Sonozaki Ryuhei wasn't particularly enthusiastic about these Foundation X envoys.

However, he also understood that Consortium X controlled important funds and resources, so even though he was unwilling, he had to put on a show of courtesy and entertain these two distinguished guests.

As night fell, everything was already prepared in the magnificent dining room of the museum's main residence.

Exquisite porcelain plates and crystal wine glasses gleamed under the soft light, and the various dishes on the table were meticulously prepared.

Sonozaki Ryubei sat upright in the main seat, his gaze dignified and sharp, silently scrutinizing the two special envoys, Onoue Takumi and Sento.

Saeko Sonozaki sat to the side, her expression gentle yet slightly worried. She would occasionally glance at Takumi Onoue, a faint unease rising in her heart, fearing that her father might say something inappropriate and cause an unnecessary argument.

Seeing this, Onoue Takumi gave Sonozaki Saeko a friendly smile.

In the tense atmosphere, Sonozaki Ryubei suddenly burst into laughter, her tone carrying a hint of arrogance and probing.

"You two special envoys, did you come all the way to Fengdu because of the sales problems of our museum's memory chips?"

Upon hearing this, Onoue Takumi remained calm and shook his head slightly: "You misunderstand. The two of us came to Fuuto this time not because of the sales of memory chips."

"We came to Fengdu this time for research and investigation of other projects. We will not ask too much about the memory issue."

He spoke calmly and without the slightest hint of unease.

Sonozaki Ryubei's gaze showed slight surprise, but she quickly regained her composure.

"Futo is the territory of the Sonozaki family."

"Ahem. That's right, we're just businessmen, not gangsters."

"hehe."

They exchanged a few words, neither yin nor yang.

Soon, Sonozaki Ryubei noticed something strange: the two people in front of her hadn't touched a single bite of food since they sat down.

He picked up his wine glass, took a sip, and casually asked, "What's wrong? Is the food not to your liking today?"

Faced with this sudden question, Onoue Takumi gave a slightly apologetic smile and explained calmly.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Sonozaki, our physical conditions are rather special, and it's inconvenient for us to eat regular food. Please understand."

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this, Sonozaki Ryubei's gaze sharpened slightly, then a meaningful smile appeared on her face, her tone carrying a hint of sarcasm.

"So that's how it is. They're zombies."

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere at the table froze for a moment.

A hint of tension flashed in Sonozaki Saeko's eyes, and she subconsciously glanced at Onoue Takumi, feeling a little uneasy.

She worried that her father's words were too provocative and would anger the two envoys from Foundation X, thereby damaging the delicate relationship they were currently in.

To everyone's surprise, Takumi Onoue did not show any anger. Instead, he smiled faintly, displaying great composure and tolerance.

“Mr. Sonozaki is right. We are indeed people who have passed away unfortunately. However, because we still have unfinished missions and are unwilling to leave this world completely, we continue to live in this awkward state. Please forgive us.”

Onoue Takumi's reply was polite and humble, yet subtly revealed a self-deprecating humor, instantly dissolving the awkwardness and hostility that had just gathered in the air.

A barely perceptible look of surprise flashed across Sonozaki Ryubei's eyes, and after a moment, she chuckled softly.

"Hehehe, that's quite frank, rare indeed."

Just then, a light but impatient footstep came from outside the restaurant, and a young and pretty female voice grumbled in dissatisfaction.

"Why do we have to wait until I get here to eat? It's such a hassle."

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Sonozaki Wakana walking briskly into the restaurant, looking clearly complaining.

She hadn't noticed the two unfamiliar guests in the restaurant and was just grumbling to herself when Saeko suddenly gently stopped her: "Wakana, be careful, we have guests at home today."

When Sonozaki Wakana slightly raised her head, she happened to meet Sonozaki Saeko's gaze.

That look sent a shiver down her spine, and she inexplicably felt a sense of oppression, as if her elder sister was different from usual today.

This feeling stirred a faint unease within her, so she quickly lowered her head, stopped talking, and sat down in her seat, picking up her utensils and eating silently.

At this moment, Sonozaki Ryubei subtly changed the subject, her gaze slowly sweeping over Onoue Takumi and Sento: "Do you two have a place to stay in Kaze now?"

Onoue Takumi smiled and replied, "Thank you for your concern, Mr. Sonozaki. We have already arranged a hotel."

Ryūbei nodded slightly, then muttered to himself.
"In that case, why don't we have Saeko accompany you two over the next few days to give you a thorough tour of our Sonozaki family's businesses, so that you can gain a deeper understanding of how our museum operates?"

Onoue Takumi nodded politely in agreement: "Thank you, that would be perfect."

Sento sat to the side, secretly observing the subtle interaction between Onoue Takumi and Sonozaki Saeko across from him. But after watching the gossip for a while, he accidentally met the gaze of Sonozaki Wakana, who was also curiously observing Saeko from the other side.

The two women, Sonozaki Wakana and Sonosaki, exchanged glances unexpectedly for a moment before quickly looking away, creating an awkward silence.

Feeling embarrassed, Sonozaki Wakana quickly lowered her head and pretended to eat seriously.

Seeing Wakana like this, Sento felt embarrassed and touched the tip of his nose, then lowered his head and pretended to examine the cutlery on the plate carefully.

Setting down her cutlery, Sonosaki Saeko looked at Onoue Takumi and said softly, "Tomorrow I will take you to see some special projects. If you have any other needs, please feel free to let me know."

Onoue Takumi responded gently, "Then I'll trouble you, Ms. Saeko."

After saying that, Onoue Takumi glanced at Sento, who was looking a little awkward beside him, and smiled, "Sento, did you hear that?"

"Ah okay."

The atmosphere in the restaurant subtly shifted. On the surface, it remained harmonious and polite, but something else was quietly stirring within it.

The subtle glances from Sonozaki Saeko at Onoue Takumi, the gossipy exchange between Sonozaki Wakana and Sento, and even the rather subtle expression on Sonozaki Ryubei's face made this dinner quite intriguing.

I have to say, youth is truly wonderful.
It can be this lively.

(End of this chapter)