Colonia Storm Tour

[He wants to stay at my and Tsubaki's house for a while?! What is this guy even talking about?!]

Tsubaki and Kazuha blushed in unison, their minds replaying incredibly shameless and mouth-wateringly suggestive images.

"Eh-haw!" "What-haw!"

Just as Tsubaki and Kazuha were about to exclaim in shock to express their utter astonishment, Lin Haiyuan quickly covered their mouths to prevent them from alerting any potential spies.

"Have you two forgotten where you are? Don't speak so loudly, or we'll attract attention. So, who's going to answer?"

Lin Haiyuan turned his head and looked at the fox girl and cat girl curled up in his arms and asked.

[Who would casually agree to let a guy stay at two girls' place as easily as borrowing a pencil?]

Tsubaki and Kazuha were both mentally criticizing Lin Haiyuan.

"Why are you able to ask in such a casual tone if it's okay to stay overnight at a girl's house, something that's obviously easy to misunderstand?"

After he released his hand, Chun lowered her voice and complained about Lin Haiyuan's attitude and tone when he asked the question.

"I want to say the same thing as Chun. When you say things like that, do you really not consider the feelings of the woman being asked?"

He Ye glanced at him sideways. She thought Lin Haiyuan's appearance and way of speaking didn't seem like the kind of person who was oblivious to others.

You two have a surprisingly good relationship. You can even banter in sync like twins. But why do you think I want to sleep in the same bed with you?

"Uh, your accommodations aren't so cramped that you don't even have a storage room or a closet, are they? I can accept sleeping in a place like that."

Lin Hai never imagined he could lie comfortably in bed and sleep. He was already lucky to have a closet and a storage room where he could lie quietly.

He'd been doing "that" with Shinononozuka a lot lately, so he was a bit wary of women sleeping next to him. He was also wondering why the women he was close to always seemed to want him to shoulder these ridiculous, multi-fold obligations. Luckily, he could sleep alone during this business trip, and although he wasn't entirely at ease, he was glad he wouldn't be exploited.

"No, we still have that level of leeway, and the landlord isn't a big problem..."

Ye was stunned. She hadn't expected Lin Haiyuan's living requirements to be so low. She thought he had to sleep in the most basic kind of bed with a blanket.

"If you tidy up the storage room and closets, you can still make room for someone to live there, but it's easy for people to misunderstand the relationship between the two parties."

Tsubaki is more straightforward than Kazuha and always likes to speak her mind, but she still feels her face burning when she speaks, and she feels even more embarrassed when she imagines scenes about harmonious sports and popular romantic comedies.

I knew they would worry about this, and sure enough, it wasn't enough to put their minds at ease. It seems I'll have to use my mental abilities a little, but I still need a plausible reason to convince them.

"Well, since you're worried about people misunderstanding our relationship, I have a way to solve this problem. As long as you agree to let me stay in the closet or storage room, I have a way to enter and leave your residence in a way that neither you nor others know about. Your landlord and others won't notice my presence. I'm very good at infiltrating, and you can rest assured about the smell."

Lin Haiyuan snapped his fingers as he spoke, then lowered his head and whispered as he pulled them close to his chest. The two beast-eared girls then slapped Lin Haiyuan's back with their tails in protest against his sudden action.

"This statement is even more intriguing, as it implies that they were not allowed to enter or leave the room where Kazuha and I were staying."

"This doesn't sound reassuring at all. If possible, I'd like to let you know so you don't get scared."

A man secretly entering and leaving the homes of two women doesn't seem like a secret rendezvous between lovers; rather, it looks more like a stalker spying on them or installing some kind of hidden camera.

Protoss/Protoss technology is the best in the world! (Neurotic derangement)

The most memorable comment about marriage for me is this: Is marriage something that doubles a man's obligations and halves his rights?

Chapter 43 The Trip to the Cherry Blossom Islands (18)

“I know you have concerns, which is why I’m informing you about my comings and goings. After all, I’ll be talking with those two gentlemen for a few more days, which is perfectly fine. And from what you just said, it seems you’re short on funds? I also remember that you took on a commission in the guild to investigate that foreign criminal gang, right? I can help you complete that commission.”

Lin Haiyuan believed that it wouldn't be difficult to use his mental abilities to trace and uncover this foreign criminal gang.

"Lin Haiyuan-san, can you really help us complete this investigation?"

Kazuha looked at Lin Haiyuan with suspicion, seemingly questioning his experience in pursuit and investigation. In her view, this was quite different from assassination. If you wanted to assassinate someone, at the very least the employer would provide the location of the target and other relevant information. But if you wanted to catch a foreign criminal gang, you had to collect all that information yourself.

"Besides, you have to negotiate with the Imperial intelligence agencies on those... hard-to-understand things. You don't have time to do that kind of thing with us."

Chun welcomes Lin Haiyuan to join in fulfilling the commission, but there is still a problem with the distribution of compensation, though it is not a difficult issue.

"This kind of thing won't take me long, and you should be asking me to investigate, not to arrest the entire foreign criminal gang and hand them over to the police."

If the investigation is only about determining the location and members of the criminal gang without actually making arrests, it should be perfectly feasible to complete such a task before nightfall, provided that one can rely on their mental abilities to proceed smoothly.

"Yes, the commission only requires us to obtain information about the criminal gang related to that foreigner, but as righteous rangers... we can't let these guys run rampant."

Emotionally, Chun still hopes to both fulfill her mission and bring these foreign criminal gangs to justice.

"Moreover, there will be extra rewards for handing over all the members of the criminal gang to the police force. The guild may also have commissions to catch criminal gangs, which could bring even more rewards."

Kazuha also explained from a profit perspective why they were more inclined to catch all the criminals, not just from their sense of justice.

"Moreover, these foreign criminal gangs are very likely the ones who drugged me and Kazuha and sold us to Huaxiaolou. We can't let them off so easily. However, I don't know where my Electric Light Pill and scabbard are. I'll have to buy another katana and scabbard as weapons later."

Chun clenched her fists without any politeness, staring straight ahead with a dissatisfied face, as if the sliding door in front of her was the foreign criminal gang.

"Come to think of it, those guys even took Tsubaki's sword and scabbard. My shikigami... thankfully, it's still in my pocket, but replacing the weapon won't be cheap."

The shikigami that Kazuha keeps in her own pocket are, in some ways, more expensive than the finely crafted swords and scabbards.

"Ah, I originally wanted to have a good meal after receiving the reward for the investigation, but now that I need to get new Electric Balls and sword sheaths, I'm afraid I can only make sure I eat my fill every day."

Chun's pair of fox ears drooped noticeably, and her words revealed an inescapable air of poverty.

"It sounds like you're not having an easy time. By the way, do you have any plans for the future?"

Lin Haiyuan had a sudden inspiration when he heard their conversation, which was full of poverty. He wondered if he should recruit them to his and Shinonono no Tsukasa's ranks to provide them with a small boost to their growth within the Azur Lane organization. Otherwise, it would be awkward to always rely on Li Xiangyang, which would mean that he could not hide any military operations they wanted to carry out.

[What are your plans for the future? Hmm... I haven't really thought about that yet. I just want to live happily as a wandering knight, living each day well enough to eat and dress, and then fall in love with a man I like, get married, and have children. I wouldn't call that a future plan.]

[My future plans... Right now, I just want to be a good wanderer, and live a peaceful life every day, with fresh fish and meat to eat every day, until the day I die.]

Tsubaki and Kazuha's thoughts about their future plans were surprisingly simple and inexpensive, but just as they were about to speak, their keen ears heard footsteps outside the door.

Like frightened little animals, they immediately shrank back into Lin Haiyuan's arms, pressing their heads against his clothes and pretending to be ashamed as before.

With a clatter, the sliding door opened easily, and Mr. Craig, with his bear-like appearance, stood by the door accompanied by two fox-woman waitresses in kimonos, without entering the Japanese-style room.

"Mr. Lin, I've already inquired about the price of these two fresh-faced female rangers for you. Considering you're a very important guest, I'm offering a special discount: 5000 Soreas in total. Do you have that much cash on you?"

Mr. Craig quoted a ransom amount that was astronomical for Tsubaki and Kazuha.

[5000 Soreya in total! That means Tsubaki and I each have 2500 Soreya. That's way too expensive! This guy is totally ripping off Rinkaihara-san.]

So, Kazuha and I are only worth 2500 Soreya each! That's a huge underestimation... Wait, why would you guys sell me into slavery? And this price is outrageous!

Both Chun and He Ye felt that Lin Haiyuan could not possibly pay this price; it was clearly a scheme to rip people off.

Lin Haiyuan reached into Altaïr's armor with his left hand and pulled out two small bundles of banknotes, which were already counted and tied with straps. He then tossed them over and said, "Here you go, Mr. Craig. The amount you need is on there."

*Snap!* Soshar Craig caught the two small bundles of Sorea banknotes that Lin Haiyuan threw at him with an agility that defied the typical image of a bear.

Buzz la la la la! Soshal Craig pinched the edge of the banknote with his fingertips and then slid it across, the high-speed friction between his fingers and the banknote's cross-section producing a pleasant sound as he counted the banknotes.

"Generous! Very generous! Mr. Lin, your generosity and skill are truly eye-opening. Not a penny more or less, you can take them away now."

Soshal Craig chuckled, pocketing the two small bundles of banknotes. How many of them would actually end up in the hands of the steward was another matter entirely.

However, Lin Haiyuan was certain that this guy would make him spit out everything he had eaten, with interest.

Technology is gradually becoming astral.jpg

Chapter 44 Trip to the Cherry Blossom Islands (19)

“They are definitely worth the price, and there is no need for them to come to a place like this to show their stinginess in this way.”

Lin Haiyuan didn't waste a single word on Sosaldo. He easily picked up the fox girl and cat girl beside him with both hands, and carried them up with one arm each. Chun and He Ye, who had rehearsed their movements of leaving and staying indoors with Lin Haiyuan beforehand, continued to curl up and bury their faces in his arms to avoid being seen and noticing anything unusual.

"Hahahaha, Mr. Lin is indeed no ordinary human being. Not only is his demeanor extraordinary, but the strength of his arms is also remarkable."

Soshar could only laugh awkwardly at Lin Haiyuan's ostentatious display of wealth and power. As for his ability to hold both the fox girl and the cat girl in his arms, it was nothing to most of the half-beasts. Since they had some characteristics of both humans and beastmen, they also had the strength that beastmen possessed, unlike ordinary humans. Soshar himself was a bear-man who was known for his strength and sturdiness.

After watching Lin Haiyuan leave the Japanese-style room carrying the fox girl and the cat girl on either side, a dog-like half-human dressed as a waiter approached with stealthy and rapid steps.

"Commander Craig, should we immediately arrange for Hunter, who is skilled in tracking, to conduct round-the-clock surveillance and monitoring of this Azur Lane negotiator?"

"Letting Hunter and his team track him down would be making a mountain out of a molehill. We don't need them to track that human. Just find an agent who is free and not on duty to track him. There's no need to waste too much energy on him. We have absolute evidence of his scandals. Doing anything more would be superfluous."

Soshal Craig was eagerly anticipating seeing Lin Haiyuan's expression when the image of him doing "good deeds" with the fox girl and cat girl appeared openly at the negotiating table.

"Yes, I will instruct the agents on the mission not to do anything unnecessary. I'll take my leave now, Commander Craig."

After answering, the canine-like half-orc continued to leave with stealthy and rapid steps, and began to arrange for idle personnel to track and monitor Lin Haiyuan without taking any drastic actions. They were only allowed to carry out the tracking and monitoring mission without exposing themselves, and to retreat immediately without hesitation if there was any sign of being discovered. They did not expect to obtain any more valuable information from him.

In any case, the purpose of doing intelligence work on him is to expose Azur Lane's bottom line in negotiations and to persuade other Azur Lane high-ranking officials to agree to the Astoria Empire's conditions and achieve a "win-win" cooperation with the Astoria Empire. He has no other value, and the intelligence agency currently has no intention of developing him into an informant within Azur Lane.

Soshal Craig and the others had a wonderful idea, but their wonderful idea was destined to be impossible to realize, and it was also impossible to track Lin Haiyuan at this stage.

Upon leaving the room and arriving at a dark corner, Lin Haiyuan immediately activated the optical invisibility device that he had previously turned off, allowing himself to enter an invisible state.

*Whoosh!* Accompanied by a low, microphone-like sound, Lin Haiyuan and the two girls he was holding, Chun and He Ye, disappeared into thin air. The optical invisibility device generates an optical invisibility field to make them invisible. It can either shape an invisibility field according to Altaïr's armor or generate a tiny, barely noticeable invisibility field to make objects invisible. If these two fox girls and cat girls were any larger, the optical invisibility field wouldn't have been able to hide them. You could say they were very lucky.

Now, with their heads buried in Lin Haiyuan's arms, Chun and He Ye couldn't notice that they were invisible. At this moment, they couldn't see the outside world. However, the microphone current sound of the optical invisibility device still made their beast ears twitch. The piercing high-frequency sound was not comfortable for them, who had such keen hearing.

"Now, do not make any sound or move. If you want to leave here without being tracked, it will depend on your cooperation."

After Lin Haiyuan lowered his voice and reminded them again, he picked them up and started running inside Huaxiao Tower. A faint outline of a swaying human figure could be seen in the air. This was one of the drawbacks of using an optical cloaking field that did not conform to the shape of Altaïr's armor. Once the movement was too large, it would cause a slight flaw to appear. However, this problem was quite simple to solve: increase the output power.

This slight flaw is relatively easy for animals with an advantage in visual perception to notice. However, in a place like Huaxiaolou, which is filled with intoxicating fragrances, colorful lights, and a variety of smells and people, it is not easy to accurately capture this slight flaw. It is easily overlooked as a visual illusion.

So the canine-shaped half-human waiter arranged for an unattended agent to wait for Lin Haiyuan at the bustling entrance for a long time, but he didn't see Lin Haiyuan at all. Little did they know that Lin Haiyuan had passed by them invisibly a few minutes earlier. Undoubtedly, they had lost their chance to start tracking Lin Haiyuan from here.

Sensing something was amiss, the agents immediately sent someone back to report to Commander Craig about the strange occurrence of not being able to track Lin Haiyuan at the entrance. Initially, they thought Lin Haiyuan might be up to some exciting P/L/AY with the two fox girls and cat girls, so they waited for a while, but now they had been waiting for an hour and still hadn't seen him.

“You’ve been waiting in the lobby and outside for an hour and haven’t seen him start the tracking program… This human is more cunning than we thought. Send a [Hound] over to sniff around and see where this human has gone, and see what tricks he’s up to.”

Soshal Craig wasn't particularly surprised by this, and readily allowed the canine half-human with its keen sense of smell to track his whereabouts by following his human scent.

The subordinate then obeyed the order and led a group of people to follow a skilled tracking dog. They sniffed the scent left by Lin Haiyuan in the room in an attempt to track him down. However, the result was undoubtedly surprising even to the dog. Halfway there, Lin Haiyuan's scent gradually faded and eventually disappeared. It was as if he had vanished into thin air inside Huaxiao Tower.

Upon receiving this reply from his subordinate, Soshar rolled his eyes in surprise and thought for a moment before coming up with a way to make Lin Haiyuan "instantly disappear" from Huaxiao Tower: magic.

"We never expected this human to know how to use magic. This guy is giving us more and more surprises. When we catch him red-handed, we must force him to tell us what kind of magic he used to disappear from Huaxiao Tower in an instant. Alright, you guys should rest for now and wait for the intelligence agents outside to find that guy."

In Soshar's view, Lin Haiyuan could run away but not escape his grasp. Sooner or later, he would catch him by the tail. Therefore, he didn't mind failing this time. He waved to let the agents sit idle for the time being. The field agents had not obtained any information about his whereabouts, and Soshar himself was helpless.

As for why they didn't use magic to find Lin Haiyuan? Since they believed that Lin Haiyuan used magic to hide his whereabouts and leave, then such magic must be able to counter tracking magic. They never expected that it was just the power of technology, a simple optical invisibility field.

While listening to the stealth sound effects of Comedian 2 in the editor out of boredom, I found that the stealth sound effects of CNC3 and Fizz Arbitrator are very similar, almost identical.

Chapter 45 The Trip to the Cherry Blossom Islands (Part 20)

After Lin Haiyuan, along with the two fox girls and the cat girl, slipped out of Huaxiao Tower invisibly, he did not stop. Instead, he slowed down and moved through the crowds and areas where the lights were not properly positioned or where shadows were created. Slowing down his speed would make the human-shaped fluctuations in the air less noticeable. If he walked in dark areas, it would be even more difficult to see the light wave disturbances.