Apocalypse Forecast

Chapter 900: Chapter 719: Special Flavors of Yingzhou

”Ah, Tobio-sama, my apologies for not meeting you sooner, please forgive me.”

Just as he got off the car, an old man who looked like an attendant came up and bowed respectfully: ”Thank you for coming from afar, please come inside.”

”I’ve been here so many times, I don’t need anyone to lead the way.”

Tobio waved his hand: ”Where’s Arakawa?”

The attendant froze for a moment, hesitating: ”The master, he...”

”No need to make excuses, he’s talking with the Hisashiga and Ochiai families somewhere, right? Tea room? Or secret room? Doesn’t matter, just take me there. Also, when the Chiba family arrives later, please lead them too.”

Tobio walked forward casually, directing the old attendant: ”As for this Huaizhi-kun, I presume you already know, just lead him to his seat.”

The order was given without any buts.

As if he were the true master of the place.

Under his gaze, the old attendant stood stupefied for a long time, hunching over and nodding: ”Allow me to convey this—”

”Nowadays, young people all love using phones, right? I’ll just call them directly, won’t be a problem unless they’re discussing secrets behind my back.”

Tobio stormed ahead confidently, trusting his status as one of the five big shots, and skillfully barged into the quiet room of the Arakawa family, pushing the door wide open.

”Oh my, everyone’s here?” The old man grinned, waving at the displeased faces that turned to him.

”Are you discussing something shady behind my back? Can you let me listen in too?”

He pulled a cushion over directly and sat opposite several people, motioning with his hand: ”Continue, continue, just pretend I don’t exist... Hey, you there! Bring me a cup of tea, let me taste this year’s harvest from the Arakawa family’s tea garden.”

”If you want to eavesdrop, Tobio, you need to be quieter.”

A man in a black Yingzhou-style robe, sitting on the ground smoking a pipe, looked over—he was the Hisashiga family’s head. He seemed to be around forty, but had hair streaked with white, showing signs of aging beforehand.

The Ochiai family’s head remained silent.

As the only woman among the five big shots, she resembled the typical traditional elderly woman of Yingzhou. Dressed in simple yet dignified long clothes, her hair was styled up, her expression cold and calm.

This old fellow’s interruption clearly dampened everyone’s mood to continue the discussion.

Right then, Tobio supported himself on his knee and started speaking.

”Since you’ve all finished, let this old man say a word.”

He smiled pleasantly, straightforwardly asking: ”About this alliance, how about letting old me be the president? As for money, we can discuss, everyone will be fairly compensated.”

As he spoke, he even gestured counting money notes.

It looked crass and shameless.

”Are you dreaming?” the head of the Arakawa family looked over coldly: ”Why can’t I? Why not me?”

”Obviously, you’re not suitable, You-kun.”

Tobio sighed: ”If you got in power, you’d definitely cause all kinds of nonsense, probably get instigated by others to make enemies without thinking... Hey, don’t get mad yet, see, you can’t even stand my provocation. When the Iron King Party’s leader snorts at you, wouldn’t you go to war immediately?”

The Hisashiga family’s head knocked his pipe, looking up to ask: ”What about me?”

”Of course you’re the best, young and energetic, daring to fight and strategize deeply, honestly more suitable than old me, but...”

Tobio shrugged: ”The Hisashiga family doesn’t have many people, even if the alliance is given to you, you can’t mobilize them, right?

Ah, as for Ochiai little sister, don’t speak, it’s not that I discriminate against you, though you’re capable and impressive, old me truly admires you—yet when rumors spread about a woman leading, not just outsiders, even those below won’t be convinced.”

The Ochiai family’s woman head glanced at him coolly, without a word.

She was well aware of this.

From the start, she was likely the furthest from the position of overall president, thus enjoying watching the show.

She had loathed this old man for too long and didn’t mind giving him a few setbacks.

”As for that Chiba Ryouni guy, definitely a good choice, but his personality...”

The old man shook his head helplessly: ”Certainly, Ryouni is a talent at reviving, pulling the Chiba meeting back from collapse and even growing strong. But I think if he becomes president, he’d first visit every brothel allied with us, then fool around with hundreds of women. Eventually getting killed by a woman on bed or something...”

After finishing, he pointed at himself, sincerely recommending: ”Compared to that, old me is so aged, can’t get hard anymore, isn’t that reliable?”

Everyone’s faces turned unpleasant.

Before he could speak again, Arakawa retorted.

The argument resumed.

As the scent of red wine and perfume lingered on Chiba Ryouni late as usual entered the room, he heard Tobio’s decision-making voice.

”Fine, per Arakawa’s request—you and I, let’s settle it according to the Extreme Path’s rules at the alliance meeting!”

Even not having heard anything, Chiba Ryouni couldn’t help but cover his face.

This speed is downright absurd.

He was just three minutes late, for heaven’s sake!

Isn’t that guy from the Arakawa family... stuck in that old man’s trap again?

.

.

Meanwhile, Huai Shi finally experienced the quintessential local feature of Yingzhou that outsiders must taste—cold violence.

In the bustling venue, every seat was filled, the atmosphere lively, with all the leaders from the Alliance chatting happily over tea. The mood was enthusiastic.

Except within three meters around Huai Shi, it was as cold as ice, utterly silent.

Everyone sat upright, sipping tea without glancing sideways. Apart from the occasional water refill from an attendant of the Arakawa family, no one paid any attention to him.

In such circumstances, Huai Shi was already idly picking his feet.

No choice, the signals were all jammed here, and even the Astronomical Society’s channel was interfered with. But if he resorted to using Source Substance communication, the likelihood of being discovered was too high.

They had been radio silent for a while now.

Playing on his phone was impossible too.

He could only watch a few geishas swaying along to the music, which was boring enough to make him yawn.

He wanted to ask the servants here to find him a comic to read, but they all feigned ignorance about its whereabouts—come on, when the big shots speak later, you’re reading comics below, you’ll just be laughing.

If a big shot sees it, they’ll silently jot it down in their mind. If they somehow hold the servant accountable for giving comics to this idiot, a pinky finger might be at risk!

Quickly, Huai Shi just gave up.

After all, he read comics just for fun.

But fun is just fun, if you truly want fun, you must have fun...

As the saying goes, when one fun doesn’t work, another fun arises.

If you won’t play with me, then I’ll play by myself.

Huai Shi raised his hand, called an attendant over, and pointed to the geishas and the lute player twisting around: ”Call one over, let me request a song.”

Once the geisha respectfully came over, he pinched his chin, observing her face as white powder fell off, and suddenly asked: ”Do you dance to ’Pure Land of Bliss’?”

”...” The geisha was stunned, shook her head.

”Forget it, you probably don’t know those vulgar things, let’s go for something classy.” Huai Shi slapped the table and said, ”Do ’Swan Lake’!”

”...” The geisha froze, revealing an awkward yet polite smile.

Inside she already started cursing—Dance your mother’s Swan Lake, this guy looks fine, but what’s up with his brain?

Let alone she couldn’t dance it, even if she could, wearing this outfit, how could she possibly dance?

”Gu-Guest, do you have anything else you want to see?”

She barely squeezed a smile, glancing towards the back with difficulty: meaning, you idiot, don’t know how to appreciate, fine, but don’t get in the way of my earning.

Huai Shi still wanted to see a two-man spin, but thinking about it, with only one geisha, there’s no spinning, possibly not even a rendition of ’The Little Widow Visiting the Grave’.

Instantly losing interest, he sighed and waved his hand, saying, ”You can leave.”

The geisha felt as if she’d been pardoned, finally rid of this idiot, hurriedly stood up to leave, but the musician behind was called: ”Hey, she’s the dancer leaving, why are you leaving...”

Huai Shi reached out, pointed to the shamisen in the puzzled lute player’s hand: ”That thing, lend it to me for a bit.”

The lute player instinctively wanted to refuse, but under those eyes, he momentarily stiffened, his fingers couldn’t help but tremble. But when this man grinned, he genuinely felt a sense of closeness and hesitation.

Mom’s words to Uncle echoed in his ears: The child is still young, doesn’t understand, let him play a bit...

Every time she said that, Uncle’s face would show that ’generous and magnanimous’ smile, which he remembered for life.

And when he came back to his senses from the recollection, the shamisen in his hand had already been taken by Huai Shi.

Huai Shi held it, like a pipa, casually plucked it twice, felt something off, and reached out to snatch the remaining pick from the musician’s hand.

”Oh, this little thing, it’s quite like a guitar.”

He tucked the shamisen under his arm, casually tried a few notes—there were all sorts of plucking techniques within cello performance, so it wasn’t too hard to get used to.

With cello performance skills of such high level, there was no barrier at all. Besides, whoever plays an instrument would only play one? When he was little, he even practiced four-hand piano with Ai Qing, quite nostalgic to think about.

Recalling the past, Huai Shi’s lips curled into a nostalgic smile.

He lowered his head and plucked the shamisen’s strings.

Strings sang with a crisp breaking-of-ice sound, spreading far and wide, halting the venue’s bustle. Following closely, agile notes hopped into everyone’s ears.

Bursting with joy and festivity.

Mi, Rei, La—Mi, Rei, So...

So familiar, as if etched into DNA, the light intro flowed, Huai Shi raised his eyebrows, swaying along to the nostalgic melody.

”Hey, young men!”