Want to play cards? I'll use my King's Deck!

"What do you mean? It's just a piece of crap."

Donnie said irritably, his teeth itching again at the mere mention of Logan.

"He was lucky this time, because all the 'Earthbound Gods' were destroyed, and he also had a good niece, so he barely survived. But while he may escape the death penalty, he can't escape punishment. Acting without permission is a major taboo anywhere. If he succeeded, that would be fine, but since he failed, he has to bear the consequences. Let me think... his position and salary will at least be demoted three ranks, and he'll be sitting on the sidelines for two or three years. He might even have to participate in some dangerous missions to atone for his sins."

"Yeah, that's good."

Upon hearing this, You Xi breathed a sigh of relief, and Donnie raised an eyebrow at the sight.

"Hey, this isn't good news, is it? Why do you look so happy?"

"Because these punishments are very light."

You Xi replied, "A demotion and pay cut are really insignificant. I don't think even Uncle Logan himself expected such a simple punishment. Old man, you must have played a significant role in this, right?"

"No matter how stupid he is, he's still my worthless disciple."

Donnie didn't say it explicitly, but his attitude said it all.

Of course, he could guess why Logan was acting behind his back. Given his status, his every move would attract attention, and Doomsday Bell had most likely planted spies within the Bureau of Public Order.

To increase the success rate of the operational plan, the fewer people who know about it, the better.

...Although in retrospect, this little trick was completely futile.

Fragments of thoughts flashed through his mind, but Donnie didn't dwell on the topic any further. Instead, after asking Youxi a few more questions, he concluded, "That's about it. I'll compile your report and submit it. Leave the rest to me."

"However, you'll have to temporarily hand over the deck you obtained from Zhenshi. It's important evidence, and we also need to eliminate any potential problems with those 'Abyss Beast' cards. Furthermore, Zhenshi previously stole many Rhea cards from duelists across the land; those cards must also be returned to their holders."

"it is good."

You Xi nodded in agreement, "I'll leave these matters to you, sir."

"You're quite generous." Donnie glanced at the composed Yu Xi. "Don't worry, you won't suffer any losses. After the real deck is checked, those cards will be returned to you as they were, and the D Alliance will also give you a generous reward and compensation—I must say, you did a really good job this time. If it weren't for you, everything might have been beyond repair."

At this point, Donnie's expression was also very emotional.

To be honest, this incident really scared the D Alliance. No one dared to imagine what kind of earthquake would occur if so many duelists participating in the Star Cup were all dead.

While the complete annihilation of this group might not cripple the D Alliance, it would be a fatal blow to its prestige.

On D Alliance's home turf, they turned all the young generation that D Alliance valued into sacrifices, and even accomplished the feat of resurrecting an ancient evil god. It's easy to imagine how excited the rats in the shadows would be if this succeeded, and how many major disasters and tragedies it would cause in the future.

Although the D Alliance is currently facing much criticism, it has not yet reached the worst possible outcome.

All of this is thanks to the still somewhat immature boy in front of us.

Looking at him, Donnie felt as if he were seeing that same man with a bright future. Back then, Izayoi Hoshi was just as radiant and full of promise.

That humility is also quite similar.

"It was just a fluke."

Instead of taking credit for this, You Xi asked, "What will happen next with the Star Cup? Will it just end so abruptly?"

"The end? How could it be?"

Donnie smacked his lips and said, "The Star Cup involves many aspects, and it's not something the D Alliance can just stop completely. Putting everything else aside, just to ensure a satisfactory conclusion to this matter, the Star Cup needs to continue. Since the first round turned out this way, the selection will probably continue in a more peaceful way."

Not only this time, but the format of the Star Cup will likely change in the future.

At least, holding a "Duel City" event on Duel Island like this is no longer feasible. If Donnie were to guess, the stage would likely be moved to a virtual world. In the virtual world, the D-Alliance would have the highest authority, completely preventing similar incidents from happening again and avoiding safety issues for the duelists.

... Surely no one is powerful enough to hack into a player's account and disable all players' logout buttons, right?

This is not funny.

Donnie coughed lightly a few times and said to You Xi, "Anyway, even if we were to hold the Star Cup again, it wouldn't be possible right now. It will probably take about a week. During this time, you and Xue Yatou should relax and rest as much as possible to prepare for the upcoming competition. Oh, by the way, I advise you not to go out unnecessarily lately, You Xi. You should understand your current situation, right?"

"Yes, I know."

Upon hearing this, You Xi couldn't help but reveal a wry smile.

He knew all too well what Donnie was referring to.

In fact, he had already experienced this firsthand on his way to the headquarters of the Public Security Bureau, and learned about what had happened from others.

Thanks to Honglian's live stream, he's now completely famous. His fame surpasses even that of Wang Yang from DM. He'll likely be a constant presence in the news for some time to come.

The thought of the media reporters who had followed him all the way, and the "long guns and short cannons" surrounding him, sent a chill down You Xi's spine.

"Just be careful. With the D Alliance watching over you, those guys won't dare to mess around. Besides, this is a necessary step for any renowned duelist. Getting used to it sooner will definitely be a good thing for you."

Seeing the psychological trauma in You Xi, Donnie, who had come to see him specifically, said with a smile, "Alright, that's all I needed to say. You can go now, You Xi. One last time—thank you for your all-out effort during the disaster. The D Alliance will always be proud of you."

"I am honored to be able to help."

After finishing his final words, Youxi bid farewell to Donnie and was escorted back to the hotel where Qingcheng Academy was staying by the Duel Guards. Just as Donnie had instructed, Youxi did not plan to go out for the next few days and intended to stay in his room to avoid the limelight, hoping that the heat would subside in a few days.

But things don't always go as planned.

Not long after, someone else came knocking on the door.

"What did you say?"

Looking at the bunny-eared loli and her maid who had come to visit, Yuki exclaimed in surprise, "Mashiro, you said your brother, Kaiba Aoto, wants to see me?"

241: Meeting with Kaiba Sojin

The headquarters building of Haima Automobile Co., Ltd. stands in the city center of Xingfeng City.

It used to be located in another place, but the former headquarters building was quite old, so it was moved here.

It was very close to the headquarters of the Public Security Bureau, but quite a distance from the hotel where You Xi and the others were staying.

Thanks to its taller and larger size compared to the surrounding buildings, Yu Xi can see most of its silhouette from a distance. Perhaps due to being designed by a renowned artist, the building combines the beauty of art and technology, shimmering in the sunlight.

The 3D image of the "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" on the top of the building looks incredibly lifelike, with its head bobbing and tail wagging as it stretches its body.

"So impressive."

Sitting in the car, looking at the towering building that stood out from the crowd, You Xi couldn't help but murmur in admiration.

Sitting in the back row with him, Mashiro, wearing white stockings, swung her legs, her delicate, fair face brimming with pride.

"That's right! That's the face of our Kaiba family, so it's definitely going to be as handsome as possible. Yuki, if you're really interested, I can take you on a tour later!"

"Okay, then I'll leave it to you, Mashiro."

Yu Xi was indeed very curious about the headquarters building of Haima Corporation.

Although it's different from the Kaiba Corporation in the anime, it's still an allomorph, and if I have the chance to see it up close, I certainly wouldn't want to miss it.

But that's clearly not the most important thing right now.

"Speaking of which, Mashiro, what kind of person is your older brother... Mr. Kaiba Aoto?"

After hesitating for a moment, Youxi turned her gaze away from the scenery outside the window and finally asked the question that had been on her mind to the bunny-eared loli.

"What? Yuki, why are you asking this?"

Kaiba Mashiro was still unaware of Yuki's intentions and looked surprised and puzzled.

Yu Xi patiently explained, "Didn't you say you were going to take me to meet your brother? I was thinking that if possible, it would be best to learn about President Kaiba's personality and character beforehand, so that I can better face him. Otherwise, something might go wrong and leave a bad impression, causing unpleasantness for both of us."

"Oh, I see." Mashiro Kaiba suddenly realized.

Yuki is right.

Before this, his brother and he had never met and didn't know each other, so it was necessary to introduce them properly and give them a heads-up.

"But Yuki, you don't need to worry about that. Your older brother is a very good person, there will absolutely be no problem!"

When Kaiba Aoto was mentioned, Kaiba Mashiro's eyes lit up. It was clear that she was very proud of her older brother, and of course she wouldn't miss the chance to brag to Yuuki.

"No matter what kind of person he is, my brother can get along with them peacefully and has never acted superior. Moreover, he can remember the names of everyone he has met. No one in the company, or even the maids and housekeepers at home, has ever said a bad word about my brother. Everyone likes him very much. So you don't need to be nervous at all!"

"Ah this..."

"Young Miss, what you said is no different from saying nothing at all."

Hearing what Kaiba Mashiro said, Yuki hesitated to speak, but fortunately, a third person present spoke for him.

The maid, who was driving in the front seat, ruthlessly exposed him: "You're the president's own sister, how could you possibly hear any bad things about him? There's no such thing as someone who can be liked by everyone. At least, the other companies that compete with the president would definitely be hoping he dies."

"What!? Saki, are you saying that those guys were just going through the motions and have been deceiving me all along?"

Seahorse Mashiro couldn't believe it.

Suddenly, those who had been kind and friendly to her seemed to have been put on masks and turned into something repulsive.

"That's not true. The president is indeed very well supported within the company, but he's far from being universally loved."

Saki then said to Yuuki, "I'm sorry to have made you laugh, Mr. Yuuki. The young lady is well protected and is not involved in these matters much."

"It's okay. The fact that Mashiro is like this shows that Mr. Kaiba loves her very much."

Yuki shook his head. How could he make fun of Kaiba Mashiro over something like this? Rather, he envied Kaiba Mashiro.

Kaiba Mashiro's behavior reminded Yuki of her older brother.

In the past, he also had an older brother who was no less capable than Kaiba Soto. And he had never forgotten the fundamental reason why he accepted this invitation.

A hint of nostalgia and reminiscence flickered in her eyes before fading away, replaced by a touch of urgency. Yuuki asked Mashiro seriously, "Excuse me, Mashiro. May I ask Saki-san to tell me about Mr. Kaiba?"

"Mmm, Saki Ren..."

Mashiro Kaiba was slightly unwilling, but she knew that her impression of Aoto Kaiba was likely heavily filtered with beauty filters, making it impossible for her to give a fair evaluation.

Moreover, she was also very curious about how other people perceived her brother.

"Alright, Saki, you can do it."

"Since it's the young lady's request..."

Saki didn't refuse, and while driving, she explained to the two people in the back seat.

In a fairly pleasant chat atmosphere, time passed quite quickly.

Before long, amidst Yuki and Mashiro's intermittent questions and answers, the car the three were in arrived at the foot of the Kaiba Corporation building.

Just then, Saki stopped talking and said, "Let's leave it at that. After hearing so much, I believe Mr. Yuki should understand how to deal with the president. In fact, you just need to keep a calm mind. If you can do that, more than 80% of the problems will not be problems."

"Thank you, Saki-san. These things are very helpful to me."

You Xi expressed her sincere gratitude.