Refreshed.
The rain was still pouring down, but umbrella in hand, Li Lin felt his mood lift into something distinctly cheerful.
In a single day, he'd secured promises—Ch'en Hui-chieh, the Rat King, Lin Yuxia, big and small players across Lungmen. And all it cost him was a few vague statements and some deliberately mystical, half-oracular conversations. A business this profitable couldn't be done too often, but the fact it could be done at all was genuinely satisfying.
If the next step went smoothly—leveraging Ch'en's L.G.D. expansion plan to earn initial trust, and then drawing a second salary from the Guard Department—then the "execution line" hanging over his head wouldn't matter as much anymore. Even if some idol in Lungmen decided to self-destruct, he could still use all the channels he'd built to scrub his name clean. It might knock him down a rung socially, but at least he wouldn't be completely finished.
So the sensible move now was to save money. Fewer cosplay props. Fewer related gadgets.
How tragic—getting isekai'd and still having to deal with this kind of nonsense…
Umbrella up, Li Lin headed toward a hotel not far from home.
He couldn't go back to the rented apartment—there were people everywhere, and returning would only add to the awkwardness. Fortunately, he had a little cash left. He could scrape by for the night, and later maybe sleep somewhere like the Land's End or the Penguin Logistics office. If he lived alone for a while, that would be better.
He was sad about it, too. No more seeing Exusiai's healthy physique up close, no more occasional "benefits" whenever the others dropped by. Without Exusiai, the others wouldn't have any reason to visit anyway.
But safety first. There were far too many stories about crossing the line and getting cut down. He couldn't afford to be careless.
He stepped into the hotel lobby, looked at the staff, and was about to speak—
When a quiet, eerie voice sounded behind him.
"So you really did come here, Senior Li Lin."
"…?"
Why? Why is this happening? This is terrifying.
Squatting near the hotel entrance, wearing a black hoodie, was Lungmen's idol—Sora. Li Lin felt a chill run straight through him.
No—seriously—there's no need to chase me down like this, right? I haven't done anything. I've only thought things in my head. Isn't this a bit excessive?
"Senior Li Lin, you're not going back?"
"And you, Sora—why are you here?"
Li Lin turned naturally toward the idol girl, acting as if he truly couldn't understand.
"I'm staying at the hotel for the night. What's the problem? It's not like I can go squeeze in and sleep with all of you."
"There's nothing wrong with that, is there? Doesn't Penguin Logistics stay together?"
"Is that a thing?"
"…"
An odd silence spread out between them.
It was as if an invisible wall had formed.
The front desk staff looked troubled by the scene and murmured cautiously:
"Um… if this is a relationship issue, could you please… take it behind the building? We don't provide romantic counseling or related assistance…"
"Ah, it's not that—"
"Senior. Come with me."
"Wait—"
"Please open a double room. Thank you."
"Huh?!"
Watching Sora seize his hand and drag him toward the stairs without hesitation, Li Lin's mental alarms detonated. Cold sweat broke out instantly.
In all his months on Terra, he'd never felt danger like this.
What the hell is this? Are you trying to kill me, friend?
Even if nothing happened, there was no way he could wash this off. Sharing a hotel room with an idol—what kind of "crime" was that in public opinion? He didn't even dare imagine what it would do to him if this got out.
Especially when he saw some of the hotel staff's eyes tracking over Sora's face—like they were already recognizing her and thinking.
No hesitation. Heavy punches only.
"Sorry. No room. We're leaving right now."
"Wait, Senior?!"
Li Lin moved at light speed, slapping down the eager front-desk hand before they could commit to the spectacle, then grabbed Sora's hand and pulled her outside.
Sora looked startled. She tried to move her hand a little, then let him drag her into a dim corner.
Nearby buildings had once been gang territory. After the L.G.D. cleanup, the area had become an empty buffer zone—still wired with utilities, still full of rooms. Li Lin knew the layout. He found an interior space, yanked Sora inside, and locked the door behind them.
"…Senior?"
"What exactly are you trying to do? Do you even realize who you are? If this gets exposed, it's not a small matter!"
Staring at the idol who suddenly looked a bit timid, Li Lin hissed:
"Do you believe tomorrow's front page won't read: 'Lungmen Idol Drags Man to Hotel, Suspected Scandal'? And what's wrong with you anyway? I'm just staying out for one night!"
"…So it's not because of me?"
Sora blinked, genuinely puzzled.
"Isn't it because I caused you trouble, so you're avoiding suspicion?"
It is.
But he can't say that.
Li Lin held the same clueless expression and delivered the standard answer:
"Huh? What trouble do you have? You're overthinking it."
"I see. Then I'm relieved. Oh, right—Senior Li Lin! About the thing you said, about wanting to find a girl—"
"That was me joking."
"…Eh?"
"How could I be that desperate? I was just trying to put you at ease."
He spoke naturally, as if it were obvious:
"You came for Texas, didn't you? I acted like that on purpose to prove my sincerity. Don't worry about anything else. It was just a misunderstanding."
"…I see. Then, at this point, I can only prove my sincerity."
"Wait—what are you about to do?"
No. Don't. Not that. Seduction is exactly the one thing I absolutely cannot withstand.
Li Lin's eyes went wide as Sora—without the slightest hesitation—started stripping off her coat and pants, stepping forward in an instant with a dangerously alluring look. He flailed his hands frantically to stop her.
"I'm going to convey my feelings to you."
Sora's expression was solemn. Then, as if performing a magic trick, she produced a thick black object from within her loosened clothing.
"Through song!"
"…Huh?"
"It's starting!"
"Wait wait wait—"
Li Lin clutched his head and tried to talk her down.
"Tell me clearly what you're doing! I don't think I'm misunderstanding anything!"
"It's fine. As long as I can clear up your misunderstanding, I'll do my best! Then—first song—let's begin!"
"I told you to stop!"
Dozens of minutes later, the intermittent "vocal disturbance" was finally suppressed.
The price was a new rumor spreading through the area: a "banshee's curse," which promptly crashed local property values.
But that was a story for later.
....
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