Uneasy daily life

"Hey, if you want some gossip, just say so. Since we're all acquaintances, there's no need to be polite."

Bai Ying, acting like a freeloading relative, pulled up a chair and sat down familiarly, saying cheerfully, "Niece Chitanda, bring tea and snacks! Brother Guan Gu must be a bit shy, so he made some minor adjustments. I'll tell you about them in detail today!"

"Uh-huh!"

Chitanda Eru was very efficient and quickly poured a cup of tea for Bai Ying.

I didn't pour for anyone else mainly because there were only four cups.

A group of people ate cookies, their expressions varied, as they listened to Bai Ying tell stories of the past.

Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Construction Site Japanese King and the Master of Spoken Japanese

There's a scam called "selling crutches." If you can trick someone into becoming lame, then the crutches will naturally sell.

There is an experience called being abducted. Once someone has tricked you into becoming crippled, you will naturally be abducted.

The white figure went inside.

After all, the real hunter often appears as the prey.

"You kidnapped another one today? That makes three now? Aren't you afraid something bad will happen?!"

Prisoner A expressed concern and became hesitant.

“Scare this kid a couple of times and he'll stop crying and making a fuss. He's easy to manage! He'll definitely fetch a good price. If we're going to do it, let's go big! Not to mention we're lucky enough to have acquired a rare Japanese soldier. Japanese soldiers are great. We can sell them deep in the mountains and forests. Nobody can understand what they're saying. Plus, there are plenty of potential customers. Buying them to be slaves is considered serving the country. Low risk, high return!”

Prisoner B, clearly well-versed in the supply and demand dynamics of a market economy, displayed a gambler's flair. He scoffed at his companion's timidity, saying, "This place is pretty shady right now. The cops aren't very active or numerous, making it easy to carry out the heist and transport the goods. It's different in developed cities. There are tons of patrolling police, and cameras everywhere. I reckon this place will be built up in a few years too. In our line of work, you either don't get any business, or you're riding the wave of success—you have to fly high. You need a big initial investment for a big return, to make enough money!"

"You can never earn enough money... You're not thinking of retiring from this life, are you?"

“I’ll retire after this one,” Prisoner B sighed. “It’s getting harder and harder to do this kind of thing in the future. Times are changing so fast. Big cities are full of security cameras. And one day so-and-so becomes an entrepreneur, the next day so-and-so becomes a big boss. Where can you make money from kidnapping people compared to running a business? But you need capital to get in. I plan to make as much money as possible this last time, and then go to the big city to do business and make big money—do you want to join me?”

Prisoner A said with a hint of doubt, "You're probably just kidding me... Who would give up a money-making job to someone else?"

"That's not very meaningful. Think about it—didn't Marx say that if workers don't make money and don't produce value, where do bosses get their money? Where do they get their surplus value? I'm telling you frankly, if I work with you, you'll make money, but I'll make even more. Don't take offense, but if you don't work with me, you'll make even less. You can't expect to spend your whole life in human trafficking, can you? If you walk in the dark too often, you'll eventually see a ghost. It's better to be upright and honest."

"Brother, you're right... Great! After we pull off this job, I'll go with you to the big city and make a fortune!"

"Hahaha, bro, you're a sensible guy. Make big money! Let's do it!"

"Dry!"

The crisp sound of beer clinking together evokes a magnificent dream.

Outside the locked gates of the abandoned factory, A and B ate barbecue and drank beer, discussing economic development and market opportunities. They also waited for the delivery to arrive so they could resell the last batch of goods and accumulate the small amount of money needed to make big money.

The factory was different; it was chilly, and the only light came from a sliver of moonlight leaking in through a broken skylight.

Although Bai Ying was very well-behaved and tried his best to portray the characteristics of a simple-minded child, whether it was because his acting skills were too poor or because the aura of the supreme emperor of Class 3, Grade 6 of elementary school was leaked, Mr. B carefully tied ropes around his hands and feet.

Bai Ying originally intended to display the divine power of the Great Emperor, but found a clumsy yet effective camera standing in the corner.

If a workman wants to be good, he must first sharpen his weapon.

Learn from the barbarians and develop skills to control the barbarians.

Science is the ladder of human progress.

Bai Ying couldn't help but marvel at Mr. B's incredible talent.

Temporarily lying low, the white figure transformed into a caterpillar, wriggling as it approached the other wanderers.

The two abducted children were already asleep, while a young man with his eyes open moved toward him, probably the Japanese friend the two prisoners had mentioned.

Bai Ying tried hard to dig out memories of her past life and said in a friendly manner, "Why are you in such a hurry?"

"The kid's Japanese isn't very standard, he keeps saying 'good morning' even though it's late at night."

The Japanese youth frowned and shook his head, saying, "Oh, you should use Chinese. How can I speak Chinese?"

"You should learn to speak Chinese."

Bai Ying gave her approval, not wanting to be outdone, and then showed off her Japanese skills: "How did Onii-chan get kidnapped here?"

"Oh, what bad luck! I think I was kidnapped from some corner of India." The Japanese youth didn't treat the other person like a child, and shook his head sadly, recounting his short but turbulent life.

"Back then, I was a student in XO high school. XO school wanted to cut back on the cultural festival, and the XO students were definitely unhappy, so they started making a fuss, saying that the school was stirring up an XO student movement. Who would have thought that they would go too far? Nobody knows who set fire to the martial arts gym's playground. These four problems caused XO school to be furious. The XO students who were involved didn't dare to speak up, and they all stood up and remained silent. In the end, I was unlucky enough to be pushed out and said to be the leader of the student movement. I was expelled from school in no time."

"Sigh, so-so." Bai Ying shook her head and said, "When problems arise, everyone passes the buck. When the problem is too big and no one takes responsibility, then we start a collective silence. If silence can't solve the problem, then we show our spirit of unity and push the most unlucky guy out to a private Marseille, bend over at a 90-degree angle, and dogeza. If the matter is too big, the unlucky guy can only grit his teeth and jump off the roof to show respect for the dead—onii-chan, don't be sad, just think of it as being bitten by a pack of dogs."

The young Japanese man wiped away his tears with a sense of sympathy and said, "They're all like that. I'm too henpecked. I don't even have the guts to yell at those people..."

Bai Ying kindly corrected, "Onii-chan, 'henpecked husband' is a term used to describe someone who is afraid of their wife."

"Don't call me Onii-chan, call me Pot—that's right, I haven't introduced myself yet, I'm called Sekiya Jun."

"Brother Guan Gu, what happened next?"

"Later, I was fired and went to Malaysia to relax. Then I went to India for tourism and encountered a mudslide and almost died. There was no rescue team."

Guan Gu Chun stammered, "I managed to save myself. I was going to go to the embassy for help, but on the way I tried to borrow someone's phone. Turns out, that person was a heartless human trafficker. I was tricked and kidnapped to Vietnam, where I was transferred to another trafficker. That trafficker said he knew someone who wanted a Japanese person, so he kidnapped me to another one. After being kidnapped several times, I ended up in this place..."

Even a supreme emperor and a reincarnation expert couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat. He moved behind the thin Guan Gu Chun, using him to block the camera, and exclaimed, "Brother Guan Gu, you... you're truly a formidable person—do you still have the courage to hit someone?"

"Hitting someone?" Guan Gu Chun was a little confused. Suddenly, he felt his hands, which were tied behind his back, loosen. He quickly pretended that his hands were still tied and said in a low voice, "They gave me some leftovers. I was very hungry and had no strength..."

"It's not strength, it's courage."

Guan Gu Chun couldn't see the white figure pretending to be a caterpillar behind him, but could hear the other party's calm voice: "Even if you have a bloody head, broken bones and vomit, or are beaten half to death and become inhuman, you still have the courage to directly confront them."

"...I used to be the head of the Classic Literature XO Department. When I was fired, I named the department's collection of articles 'ice cream'."

Bai Ying said smugly, "I know that, ice cream, right?"

"It's not ice cream, it's hanaka... Actually, what I meant was 'I scream'."

"What the heck? They all sound the same."

"Oh my god, I groan!"

"Brother, you're a master of taking off your pants to fart."

Guan Gu Jun said weakly with a self-deprecating laugh, "It's like taking off your pants to fart... I'm a coward, I only dare to voice my anger when it's a homonym—but this time, I'm going to fight tooth and nail!"

"Okay! When the time comes, listen to my command—don't move or speak. Conserve your energy and wait for them to come closer before making your move. Try to seize their weapons first..."

Operation codenamed 'Take Them Down' has been finalized.

When AB and the deliveryman C unlocked the door and entered the abandoned factory, Guan Gu Jun pretended to be rebellious, remaining silent and still, luring AC to come closer. Just then, he heard a childish voice behind him shout "Drag him to death and give it to K!" and suddenly sprang to his feet.

That battle was a bloody and brutal affair, filled with the cries of ghosts and howls of wolves; even children would turn pale at the mere mention of it.

Guan Gu Jun felt like Honda Tadakatsu had been reincarnated. He knocked A unconscious with his first hit, then picked up the steel bar that A had dropped and hit C, who was a step slower, with a home run that left him with a splattered face. He only regretted that he was too weak, and Mr. B even had a homemade gun. In the end, he was shot in the leg and fell to the ground.

Mr. B, feeling confident of victory, was brutally kicked by the Supreme Emperor the moment he made a hasty approach, instantly losing his ability to move.

Mr. B died before his business was fully established, and it is unknown where he was reincarnated after his execution.

"After recovering from his injuries at the hospital, Brother Guan Gu was preparing to go home. Before leaving, he specially invited me to enjoy some barbecue at a night market. He said that during the days he was detained, he was really craving barbecue from the skewers that the human traffickers were eating outside. Also before leaving, when we were eating barbecue and chatting, he excitedly said that he would finally be able to see his niece, Chitanda Eru, and talk about his family and his past life."

Bai Ying took a sip of the still-warm tea, bringing that story to a close.

“So Uncle has encountered so many things, and he has summed them all up in just a few words…” Chitanda Eru said with a touch of sadness and realization, “No wonder Uncle hardly leaves his hometown after returning home, has developed a fondness for baked goods, has a bigger appetite, and has become much rounder.”

"That's a good thing. It's lucky to still have a good appetite after going through so much hardship." Bai Ying said with a kind smile. "Ai Ru should be happy for Brother Guan Gu. He was in better health when he returned to Japan. He was really haggard when he was in the abandoned factory."

"Uh-huh?"

Chitanda Eru realized what was happening, her eyes widened, and she pointed to herself, hesitatingly saying, "Um... Haku-kun, oh no, Haku-kun... Kage-kun? Um... Eru-niece, are you talking about me?"

In the ensuing confusion, Chitanda Eru couldn't even distinguish between titles and honorifics.

"What kind of relationship do you have that you're still talking about traditional Japanese etiquette?"

Bai Ying said with dissatisfaction, "Guan Gu and I have a comradeship from the war, we call each other brothers, we are true friends who have been through thick and thin together! Niece Ai Liu, please don't be so reserved, just call me Uncle Bai!"

Chitanda Eru leaned back involuntarily, her face showing a conflicted expression.

The family etiquette education we receive from childhood is crumbling in the face of harsh reality, creating a strong conflict that has led to a slight rift between the two.

Under the sympathetic and somewhat empathetic gazes of Yukino Yukinoshita and Hachiman Hikigaya, Eru Chitanda stubbornly overcame reality and tried to say, "Hmm... Haha, that's true! Hmm! Uncle Haku! My uncle actually went to China again two years ago, wanting to find you, but he came back disappointed, saying he couldn't find you."

"I came to Japan right after graduating from elementary school and wandered around with the theater troupe. I never really went out of my way to find Brother Guan Gu." Bai Ying laughed casually. "It's fate that we met by chance, so why bother with it? I recognized you as Brother Guan Gu's niece, and you recognized me as your uncle's good friend. Isn't that the kind of unexpected fate that happens between people? Now that I've met Brother Guan Gu's niece, I should catch up with Brother Guan Gu later."

Looking at the person who was so familiar with her, calling someone "uncle" and "nephew," and Chitanda Eru who was trying to adapt to a peer, and that bizarre, passionate, and questionable true story from earlier...

The others were at a loss for words.

One can only lean back slightly as a sign of respect.

Chapter 40 I'm very curious.jpg

After recognizing each other (?), Uncle Shiro and Chitanda's niece chatted happily.

The latter kept pressing for details about his uncle's experiences during the years he was missing, and learned from an elder (?) about a completely different image of his uncle—such as how he liked to praise his cute niece, how he had a prison-like aesthetic that favored little girls, how he cried his eyes out when he was rescued and clung to the embassy staff, and how he yearned to be a chivalrous hero, yet he himself played the role of a victim rescued by a chivalrous hero...

The former also gleaned the experiences from the latter's occasional descriptions.

What about pretending to be kidnapped just to infiltrate the tiger's den, which almost led to his downfall? What about the fact that tourism is quite good, with people in various places being simple and friendly? What about how my friend and I fought side by side, like a combination of Lu Bu and Red Hare, surviving seven times among human traffickers? What about how we overcame all the hardships to solve the mastermind behind the scenes, and the two of us drinking and eating skewers on the street, in high spirits, almost raising our cups of yellow wine, chopping off chicken heads, and becoming sworn brothers in front of Guan Yu?

Perhaps out of consideration for his reputation, or to avoid worrying his niece, Brother Guangu embellished his experience to some extent.

"My Abducted Life" is essentially a grand drama about a young man burdened with innocent guilt who leaves his hometown in despair. By chance, he falls off a cliff, finds a martial arts manual, learns unparalleled skills, and then roams the city, fighting evil, making friends with like-minded people, and finally returning home as the Dragon King.

"Instead of dwelling on these old stories, what we should be talking about now is the issue of joining clubs for students from Anxin Academy."

Yukino Yukinoshita abruptly interrupted the family reunion by speaking, shifting the topic to Angelina Anshinin's club issues, her expression as cold and even somewhat frozen as ever.

Anxinyuan Angelina wasn't in a hurry. This was a very interesting story, and the wise Angelina had already seen through everything!

"Are you afraid that I will use my uncle's name to allow my niece, Eru, to accept Anshinin's classmates into the club? The hero's strategy is not bad."

Bai Ying shook his head and said, "However, whether you want to join the club depends on Anxinyuan himself. Besides, it's your turn now, and I won't take over. We'll leave Ailu's 'The Legend of the Prodigal Swordsman Guan Gu Chun' for later."

"I never imagined my uncle's experiences were like that. It cleared up many of my doubts. Thank you, Uncle Bai." Chitanda Eru seemed a little reluctant to leave.

Yukino Yukinoshita glanced at the white figure, her gaze growing even colder. She turned back to ask, "What do you think of the Classics Club, Anshinin-san?"

"Ah? Oh..."

Anxinyuan Angelina snapped out of her daze, pondering how to politely decline—as expected! Bai Ying must be a righteous character from the other world, right?

Others might not have thought much about it, focusing on points that Bai Ying might have deliberately blurred out, thinking that successfully defeating the human traffickers was a matter of good luck with a bit of chance... But it's different, it must be because of Bai Ying's superpowers!

"Welcome to the Classic Literature Club!" Chitanda Eru leaned closer, her clear, beautiful purple eyes radiating enthusiasm. "It's just me and Oreki-kun in the club, and we're usually a bit too quiet—Anshinin-kun, join the Classic Literature Club!"

"No, no, no, forget it..."

Anxinyuan Angelina quickly leaned back and moved nimbly to dodge the opponent's control skills.

Chitanda Eru tilted her head and asked, "Huh? Why?"

"Um, um..." Anshinin Angelina tried to find a reason, but blurted out subconsciously, "It's not good to bother you!"

Before Chitanda Eru could react, Oreki Houtarou, who was drinking tea, choked and coughed repeatedly.

"Oh—" Bai Ying smiled knowingly. "Oh dear, I see. I see. My niece Airu, I was too presumptuous and disturbed your conversation. We'll be going now. You can continue your chat."

Chitanda Eru quickly waved her hand and said, "Eh?! Uncle Shiro, Anshinin-san didn't mean that, did she..."

Bai Ying said with an air of seriousness, "I understand, I understand. It means you don't even understand what it means, right? Hmm—the young man is not bad, but he's not very energetic. Young people need to be more vibrant."

Houtarou Oreki didn't want to talk and didn't know what to say for a moment.

"Stop with all this pontificating, let's hurry up and get to the next club. What's your opinion, Bai Jun?"

Yukino Yukinoshita scrutinized the two of them, mentally ruling out the Classical Literature Club. It turned out to be not a professional and well-organized club, but rather a private little haven for couples? This kind of club is really problematic in terms of its composition and is not suitable for Anshinin to join.

Bai Ying said with ease, "No opinion—today is all the heroes' turn, please feel free to do as you please."

"If I catch up with him, Bai Jun will be left far behind in the blink of an eye."

"Then come on."

"..."

Yukino Yukinoshita felt increasingly uneasy, her mindset becoming somewhat grave. Where had she overlooked something? What was the White Shadow's plan? It would be difficult to glean it from words alone.