"Cooked-meat big eater! Cooked-meat big-eater event blazing on! As long as you finish ten jin of cooked meat within the time limit, not only is your tab free for the event, you'll also receive a fine gift! No restrictions on type, no restrictions on category—as long as you come, you can…"
Several young ladies with good looks were hawking with bullhorns. Su Tang glanced over and instantly recognized the big-headed owner sitting in the center C position.
He went up and, under the owner's slightly surprised gaze, explained his purpose.
"What? You're saying you want to buy all these cooked foods?"
"Yes." Su Tang nodded.
"No way. These are for the event. If you really want them, come back tomo—"
"I'll pay ten percent over your highest price per jin."
He didn't have time for the spiel; he cut him off and gave his offer.
"Uh, ten per… no, I can't—"
"Add thirty percent."
"Deal!"
This time, the boss shut his mouth.
He didn't understand why this young customer wanted to do this, but he knew: never refuse free money.
"Er, sir, how… will you be paying…?"
To be safe, the owner asked again. He feared the man was just teasing him, without the money to back it.
"Relax—I'm not going to stiff you. Hurry and halt the event, get the crowd away. Otherwise, every chunk of meat that goes missing is a loss straight out of your pocket."
Understanding the worry, Su Tang didn't dither. He pulled something from his trouser pocket and held it between his index and middle fingers for the owner to see.
"A… a Citibank Black Card!"
The owner had an eye for such things. At the sight, he spun around to stop the event.
He'd never thought he'd see one of those on a food street. Tokyo really was full of hidden dragons…
The Citi black card was the highest-tier credit card of Citibank, one of America's Big Four—by invitation only, not something you could apply for.
Watching the owner leave, Su Tang couldn't help but sigh that having money was wonderful.
The power of money really hits the spot.
Of course, it'd be better if the money were his.
Right—this black card wasn't his. As you've probably guessed, it belonged to Valon.
The money inside counted as expense funds for his "overseas assignment." Normally, he couldn't touch it. Without ample justification, Valon would truly blow a gasket.
So he obviously couldn't charge the clinic renovation to this card. Those costs came out of the $500k he'd gotten before coming to Tokyo.
As for how much was on the card—Su Tang didn't know. The string of zeros hurt his eyes.
He slipped the card away and took out the talisman locator.
The red beam still fixed on this area.
Good—seemed nothing unexpected had happened.
Right now he only feared Positive had some tsundere streak: a weakened seal for "early release" in theory, then hard-mode at the finish line.
Summoning the Shadow Corps covertly to search the piles of meat, Su Tang looked toward the door.
Outside was still bustling; many were kids in identical uniforms.
He recognized them—or rather, few in this part of Tokyo wouldn't.
Tokyo Municipal First Academy—the largest high school in all Tokyo.
Was there some school event today? he wondered.
He thought that if Denji-ko earned enough someday, maybe he could send her there to experience school like her peers.
As he was thinking, he felt the ground quake underfoot.
Then again.
And the crowd suddenly broke in panic!
"A devil! A devil appeared!"
"Run!"
"…"
Just a moment ago the shopfront had been jammed with tourists arguing with the owner; now terror filled their faces as they fled with the flow.
Grass—a kind of plant!
Su Tang slammed a fist into a table. Sure enough, the one thing he feared most happened—an accident.
Yet drama struck again: the panicked people abruptly calmed.
"It's devil hunters! The devil hunters took down that 'Caviar Devil'!"
From outbreak to resolution, the whole process took at most ten seconds—one had to marvel at devil hunters' efficiency. Especially this time: a civilian devil hunter did it.
Everyone was pleased—except for two who weren't people, well, not entirely.
"Damn! My credit stolen by some nobody hunter!"
Power and Denji-ko had charged forward less than five meters before trudging back, frustrated.
"This is all your fault for sneaking pig's trotters! Otherwise I'd have been the one to get it!" Denji-ko griped at Power. If they'd set out at once, they might have made it. But that filthy woman spent three whole seconds for a pig's trotter!
There went the bounty.
"Heh, foolish human. If I don't eat my fill, how does the great me have the strength to slay devils?"
Power snorted with her nose to the sky.
"Eh! A piece of braised meat fell here!" A few steps on, Power spotted a steaming, fragrant chunk on the ground. Like a thief, she glanced around, then darted over and snatched it up.
"You filthy woman—stealing food again!" Denji-ko glanced at the building beside the meat and recognized the deli from the big-eater contest. "The quake must've knocked a piece by the window down."
"Who cares. What the great me picks up belongs to the great me."
With that, Power opened wide and swallowed it whole without chewing.
"You…" Denji-ko didn't want to deal with her. She cast a casual glance into the shop—and saw someone she didn't expect.
"Mr. Su Tang?!"
—
Su Tang's mood was not great.
Because the Shadow Ninjas had torn through every pile of cooked food and still hadn't found the Tiger Talisman.
Damn it.
Just as he was about to search personally, he suddenly heard a familiar call.
Turning, he saw Denji-ko peering in through the window—and Power beside her, rubbing her belly.
Smiling back at Denji-ko, Su Tang looked at Power's obvious just-ate-something look, and a bad premonition flashed through him.
He quickly looked down and pulled out the talisman locator.
The red light flared—its target pointed straight at Power.
—at her belly!
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