Chapter 120: High-end fraud often only requires the simplest method. ...
Of course, Kenji Hagiwara would not be so cruel to her.
He always felt that Chaomu had a bit of childlike innocence and drive, and she had her own wonderful logic in doing things - whether it was working or delivering lunch boxes, she seemed to have the spirit of "as long as you work hard, you will definitely achieve your goal."
But still, delivering three bento boxes at once is a bit too much... What exactly is she striving for? Does she think quantitative change can lead to qualitative change?
While he was thinking, the short-haired girl had already parked her scooter, jumped off, and held the thermal bag in front of him like a treasure. "Thump, thump, thump! Hagiwara-kun, do you accept it? Do you accept it? Do you accept it?"
The police officer with a dog who had just been staring at this side took another look over here, then continued to check other people's personal belongings with the police dog.
The half-long-haired young man took the thermal bag from her hand with a look of confusion: "Doesn't this leave no room for refusal?"
It was even more outrageous than he had expected. The weight of the food made his wrist sink - this loving meal from the girl was obviously solid.
"If you give too much, the chances of being rejected are actually higher... Even though Xiao Zhenping and I both have good appetites, three meals of this size are a bit too much for us, right?" He weighed the bag and glanced at her gently, "Xiao Chaomu, you don't have to force yourself to cook such a large amount of food... It must be tiring to cook so much, right?"
Chaomu scratched his head: "Alright?"
For players, the cooking process is not difficult. They just need to follow the steps to process the ingredients and be free to play... With Mimi Moroboshi helping her, she doesn't feel tired at all.
"One for Hagiwara-kun, one for Matsuda-kun, and the extra portion is for backup, and you can share it with your colleagues..." Her thoughts drifted at this point, and she muttered to herself solemnly, "Thinking about it, three times is a pretty reasonable number."
Hagiwara Kenji didn't quite understand what she meant by "three times of being a victim." When he heard her mention Matsuda's share, the surprise in his eyes faded slightly, and then he suddenly realized: That's right... Xiao Chaomu would definitely not bring just him food... It's only natural that she would bring a portion for Matsuda.
Although a flash of disappointment suddenly crossed his mind, he was always considerate and thoughtful, and didn't let it show on his face. He simply said gently, "Since you've been so thoughtful, Xiao Chaomu, I'll accept this heartfelt gift... Did you have time for lunch? Would you like to join us? I don't think I've ever taken you to the police cafeteria before. The food is quite good."
Chaomu had actually been to the Metropolitan Police Department cafeteria—in the dead of night when everyone was searching the trash cans.
Ever since she first came to the Metropolitan Police Department to take a statement and unlocked the trash can for her heroic act, this place has long become her regular spot for collecting materials... Her understanding of the internal structure of the Metropolitan Police Department may be even deeper than that of Kenji Hagiwara.
When she thought about it carefully, the effect of the truth bullet almost made her blurt out these terrible truths.
The player, somewhat accustomed to this effect, skillfully changed the subject, selectively telling the truth: "I ate some rice balls on the way here, so I won't bother Hagiwara-kun and Matsuda-kun. Your break isn't long, is it?"
"Although it's not long, there is definitely time to spend with Xiao Chaomu."
There were quite a lot of people coming in and out, so Hagiwara Kenji put his arm around her shoulders and led her to the side, using his body to separate the flow of people. His eyes curved, "Besides, Xiao Chaomu, you're very famous in the police force now. If I take you in for a tour and a meal, everyone will probably envy me."
When he was with her, he always seemed to have an unusually strong desire to express himself. Even though he knew it was a little strange to talk at the door, he still had a lot to say to her—he wanted to share what happened during lunch today, and he wanted to ask her about her experiences of bravely doing good deeds...
But before the words could truly flow out of his mouth, the Metropolitan Police Department's popular king, a natural at interpersonal communication, couldn't help but think twice, worried that asking too much would make her uncomfortable. She clearly had many secrets and her own life, and she might not want to tell him everything.
"Famous for what?" As he hesitated, Chaomu raised his eyes curiously, accurately catching the key words, "If Hagiwara-kun and I were to have dinner, would everyone envy Hagiwara-kun instead of me?"
Is this true? Hagiwara-kun, are you sure you didn't say the opposite? A Charming D player can really get this kind of treatment? The Metropolitan Police Department can't be filled with rich women, right? And with Hagiwara-kun's personality and high charisma, it's impossible for a rich woman not to like him.
"Because Xiao Chaomu is an excellent, kind, and eye-catching child."
When answering this question, Hagiwara Kenji didn't hesitate at all. He raised the corner of his mouth and gently touched the top of her head. "You've really worked hard, little Chaomu... I guess there will be another bonus next time."
Speaking of this, he naturally mentioned today's episode to her, omitting the two male policemen's malicious speculations about her and picking out the good news to tell.
Chaomu's eyes widened when she heard this: She thought the reputation system of this game was just a reward mechanism designed to motivate players to complete those miscellaneous side quests, so this is how it was added?
She looked back at the reputation reward list and found that there seemed to be some special badge rewards such as the Metropolitan Police Department commendation... This would be quite attractive to collectors.
"So, Xiao Chaomu is also a celebrity now." Hagiwara looked at her with a smile, and seeing her raise her chin involuntarily, he wanted to scratch her chin or touch her head again.
But such an action seemed to be overstepping the bounds. In the end, he just curled his fingers slightly and invited her again: "So you want to come in for a tour? Officer Aida wants to meet you too. She was the one who helped you apply for the bonus last time..."
Although he invited her like that, Chaomu really had no intention of going to the Metropolitan Police Department - she didn't come here for this in the first place.
She was just a pathetic little raccoon trying to scam someone. She should have handed over her lunch box and then confidently said, "I've taken the lunch box, Hagiwara-kun, please take me home." But for some reason, when she met Hagiwara's gaze, she was a little at a loss for words.
...Why is that? I can say it to the black-faced guy without any hesitation... Is it because Hagiwara-kun is so kind that the player feels guilty when they want to do something bad?
She didn't want to go in, but she didn't want to leave either. Hagiwara Kenji actually saw some hesitation in the eyes of this girl who always turned around like the wind.
She looks like this, she should be...
He seemed to understand something, and after a brief moment of thought, he laughed: "Sometimes I always feel that Xiao Chaomu is a little too smart - he actually saw through my conspiracy so easily?"
Under her bewildered gaze, the half-long-haired young man scratched his cheek with his fingertips in distress. "I was thinking of getting away with it and repaying the favor by treating you to a meal in the cafeteria... but now it seems there's no way around it. What kind of tip would you like, my lovely Raccoon Knight? This time, I promise not to play tricks and will do my best to satisfy you."
The officers who had just finished checking a person and the tourists undergoing security checks almost simultaneously exchanged shocked glances. The young officer holding the dog was even more outspoken, his face practically etched with the expression, "Is this the power of the Metropolitan Police Department's most popular officer? This is terrifying!"
Even the bystanders were in this situation, and Chaomu was directly facing a huge impact.
This NPC is really...
...You're really good at pleasing people!
His action was very youthful. Even though Chaomu was a hard-hearted DPS love player, he felt his heart skip a beat when he heard him say that.
From the time she first met him during her novice days, Hagiwara Kenji seemed to have always been so tolerant and accompanied her...
With such obvious indulgence, her previous inexplicable hesitation was instantly thrown behind her. She decisively grasped his fingertips and said seriously, "I want Hagiwara-kun to take me home!"
Hagiwara Kenji smiled and said, "Okay...eh?"
He heard her words clearly, and the words of agreement were stuck in his throat for a moment. His violet eyes widened in an instant: "...What...eh?"
Although, given the current atmosphere, this development seemed quite logical... but it wasn't right, was it? This was a sudden... invitation to live together? No, no, no, how could it be possible, how could Xiao Chaomu possibly mean that... She clearly hadn't gotten the point at all, hadn't she?!
Under the girl's hopeful gaze, the mature and reliable Hagiwara-kun almost immediately forced himself to calm down and sort out his thoughts.
He asked tentatively, "Xiao Chaomu, how long do you plan to stay?"
"About a week is enough." Chaomu answered decisively, still not letting go of his hand, his eyes shining. "Is it okay? Hagiwara-kun?"
...Is that so... Just staying here temporarily?
Maybe she encountered some trouble and didn't want to live in her original rental house anymore, so she came out to hide... or was it because she had spent all her money on the motorcycle and couldn't pay the rent?
Kenji Hagiwara, whose emotions fluctuated too much in a short period of time, let out a breath, not sure whether he felt more relieved or lost.
If she would think of asking him for help first, then to her, he should be considered...a relatively important person, someone she can rely on, right?
"That's no problem for me. If you need anything, you're always welcome to stay in my guest room." After roughly figuring out the whole story, he decisively agreed to her request, only asking, "But will it be a bit inconvenient? If you just need a temporary stay, I can also help you ask if there are any female colleagues..."
Officer Aida seems to live alone and has an extra guest room. I can ask her later... As we are both women, it is relatively convenient for us to live together.
When he heard about other female colleagues, Chaomu was instantly moved: after all, living in someone else's house might give him a chance to encounter an undeveloped trash can with new skills. It was quite exciting to think about it this way.
Even if she encountered an NPC with skills, those skills might not be what she needed...but why not give it a try? It's not illegal to try. Anyway, the workload today wasn't heavy, and if she regretted it, she could just reload the save and choose Hagiwara-kun later.
Does the system really not offer an instant automatic save function? Being able to only roll back to 4 a.m. is so useless! What if I regret something I did a few days ago later and there's no chance to undo it...
She couldn't help but call the customer service and complain that the game settings were too unreasonable. Is it difficult to add instant save and load?
The system responded as quickly as ever: [The game already has an instant save and load function. Please click on the mall and purchase a 30 yuan monthly card to enjoy the super convenient function of 300 times rebate and instant save and load. Now you can also enjoy the first-time recharge benefits and receive SSR skills...]
Chaomu closed the system panel in disgust, thinking that this game was really ugly for cheating people out of their money.
Forget it, it’s a castrated version, this method of forcing her to spend money will only make her more rebellious and not want to spend a penny... Anyway, the automatic saving function is enough for her now, SL method, start!
She first agreed to Kenji Hagiwara's proposal. The latter seemed relieved and said with a smile, "Leave it to me." In the afternoon, he found a dashing and somewhat familiar female police officer for her - Officer Aida.
"Of course we have guest rooms at home—you can stay there long-term, and you don't have to worry about rent."
The capable-looking policewoman instinctively clutched her stomach when she saw her, but she still gracefully handed her the key and took her back to her residence. "I didn't bring any official documents home, and there aren't any restricted areas at home. You can just stay here and relax... I'm busy with work, though, so if I can't bear to see it, I might ask you to take care of the cleaning."
Chaomu naturally had no objection to this little thing. After all, she had a high level of housekeeping skills and could clean quickly.
She offered to help clean up, and by the evening, she'd found Officer Aida's trash can. This young policewoman possessed SR-level intelligence gathering and free-fighting skills, which would have been quite delightful if Chaomu were still a newbie.
It’s a pity that for Chaomu now, the SSR skill in “How to Become the Face of the Police Force” in Hagiwara-kun’s trash can, which seems to increase the charm value, is more practical.
She has teacher Reborn to teach her close combat, and she also has her own skill branches for acquiring intelligence... After weighing the pros and cons, the Hagiwara family has a higher priority in this situation of stable and guaranteed acquisition.
After comparing, Chaomu chose to reload the save file. She returned to the early morning, made lunch boxes with Mimi again, and arrived at the Metropolitan Police Department entrance at noon again.
This time, when Hagiwara asked her if it would be a little inconvenient, she shook her head decisively: "How could it be inconvenient? It's very convenient."
She thought it was okay, so Hagiwara Kenji didn't try to persuade her any further - at this time, she obviously needed support, so he just needed to provide help silently.
"So, when are you planning to move, Xiao Chaomu? Are you going there now?" He had a spare key to his house in his car. Seeing her face full of anticipation, he smiled and handed her the key he had with him. "I won't be back at noon. If you need anything, Xiao Chaomu, can you go there by yourself first?"
Chaomu glanced at the description on the task list: "Let the NPC take you home." After a moment of hesitation, he shook his head and said, "I'll wait until you get off work this afternoon and go home with you. I'll go to work first."
Last week, Officer Aida also gave her the key first, but the mission progress only increased after Officer Aida took her home. She should wait.
"That's great, keep working hard." Hagiwara waved at her, holding the thermal bag. "I want to go in and enjoy little Chaomu's loving bento first."
"Okay." Chaomu, having gotten what he wanted, said goodbye to him obediently and honestly, "Please pass the third meal to Officer Aida for me. Thank you for her care.
She and Mimi had already tasted the meal after cooking it this morning. Today's mushroom dish had the special effect of boosting energy. The virginity squad, of course, and Officer Aida in the First Investigation Division seemed to be working overtime every day, so this dish seemed like a perfect gift for them.
Xiao Chaomu is indeed a good child who knows how to repay kindness, is enthusiastic and sensible.
Kenji Hagiwara hurried back with the thermal bag, his mind uncontrollably wandering off to who knows where, even ignoring the barking of the police dog behind him: It really still feels so magical... Even though she's just staying here temporarily, it seems like he's really going to live with her for the next week... ?
Although he knew that the girl probably had no such intentions towards him, otherwise she would not have made such a request so frankly, he still couldn't help but let his imagination run wild.
After all, to him, she was...
The thoughts that were about to come out had not yet taken shape when he was interrupted by You Xunran's heavy punch as soon as he reached the cafeteria door.
"Hagi, you bastard... you still remember to come back?" Matsuda Jinpei's face darkened as he put his arms around his neck. "I really don't know what kind of magic potion that brat fed you..."
“Ouch, it hurts, it hurts… Xiao Zhenping, please let go…!”
Of course, Matsuda would not let Yukinen off so easily.
After the latter was on the verge of vomiting his soul, he finally let out a sigh of relief and reluctantly released his grip. He looked at the yellow insulated bag and said, "Is this the lunch box that little brat made? It looks quite large."
"After all, it's for three people... There's also a portion for you, Xiao Zhenping." Hagiwara Kenji, who had escaped death, pressed his neck and replied slowly, "And there's also a portion for Officer Aida. I'll give it to her later."
The young man with medium hair looked vaguely reluctant as he held the thermal bag, and Matsuda couldn't stand Yu Junran's useless and stingy look.
He took the bag and placed it on the table, then pulled out a lunch box. He said casually, "Come to think of it, can that kid cook? I don't want Officer Aida to get a fright when he receives the lunch box, wondering who gave him this shady dish to poison him."
"How could you say that about Asamure-chan?" Hagiwara Kenji disagreed with his guess. "She's so good at housework and a hardworking kid—she must be a good cook too, right?"
Matsuda opened the lid with one hand and said harshly, "That's hard to say... Huh?!"
Kenji Hagiwara's eyes were also a little dull.
The moment the lid was opened, a powerful, complex aroma gushed out from the crack. The attention of the colleagues passing by was almost instantly drawn to the lunch box, their eyes all fixed on it.
As the lid is fully opened, the first thing that comes into view is a fish head that is artistically tilted upwards, and there is a strange light in the eyes of the sea bass, as if it is unwilling to close its eyes in death.
"...What is this?" Matsuda's hands were shaking as he gripped the lunch box lid. "A biogas pond formed by fish carcasses? A swamp? A quagmire...?"
It wasn't that he was being sarcastic, but rather that the food inside the box looked just like that. The sauce, made of an unknown ingredient, was thick and brown, and to call it mud was a bit of an understatement. Anyone who came here would have to say this was history.
The remains of tomatoes, potatoes, and mushrooms, vaguely recognizable from their pre-birth appearance, appear to be partially digested, half-submerged in an unidentified substance... They are said to be tomatoes, but to be more precise, they are cherry tomatoes added to the dish, their bright red skin half-peeled, making the work look a bit like a murder scene... Or perhaps it's due to a weak stomach.
Even though Hagiwara Kenji always advocated praising children, looking at this lunch box, he couldn't help but think that it was a good thing that Chaomu had gone back... otherwise, even he would find it difficult to control the fear that was revealed in his physiological instincts.
Only then did he remember the police dog's incessant barking...it was clearly a warning to him. Judging from its appearance and smell, this lunch box was indeed a dangerous item.
Matsuda pushed the lunch box toward him expressionlessly. "'Your cooking skills should be pretty good too'? Huh?"
Hagiwara Kenji murmured, "This is history..."
Under Xiao Xunran's gaze, he held on for two seconds before recovering and taking a deep breath. "...An unexpected surprise. If you look closely, it should be fish curry? These side dishes are also quite common in curry stews... Xiao Chaomu may just not be good at plating. The taste of the food is what matters most."
Matsuda Jinpei: “…………?”
"Who would want to know what the food tastes like when it looks like this... It looks exactly the same inside and out!" He poked at one of the floating objects and said in shock, "Is this... a mushroom? Don't you feel the black smoke coming out of this box of curry?"
"But this is the fruit of Xiao Chaomu's hard work all morning... I have to give it a try..." Hagiwara Kenji closed his eyes, took the spoon, scooped a little with the determination of a hero cutting off his own arm, and brought it to his lips, "I can't let her kindness go to waste..."
Matsuda thought Hagiwara was probably crazy.
He didn't expect the other party to really want to try, and he didn't have time to stop him. Seeing that the half-long-haired young man had already swallowed the spoonful of dark matter, he quickly pushed a glass of water over and began to think about whether to induce vomiting or send Hagi for gastric lavage.
But Hagiwara Kenji didn't take the cup directly. Instead, he opened his eyes in confusion and stared blankly at the box of curry: "...Hmm?"
"What's with that expression...are you stupefied?" Matsuda waved his hand in front of his eyes. "Hagi? Are you okay?"
"... Not bad...?" Hagiwara Kenji's expression was still a little dazed, and he hesitated, "I think this seems... quite delicious?"
Matsuda: “…………???”
He quickly pulled out his phone, ready to call an ambulance: Is this so unpalatable that I'm hallucinating? This thing is really poisonous!
While he was dialing, Hagiwara had already taken his second bite.
"It's not an illusion... it really is delicious." After trying it for the second time, he finally confirmed his understanding. "Xiao Chaomu must have added coconut milk to the curry? The rich taste balances out the sweet and sour taste of the tomatoes, the spiciness of the curry, and the flavors of the spices... The ingredients are stewed to tenderness and full of flavor. The fish melts in your mouth, and the mushrooms are delicious - it's really delicious!"
Matsuda was about to burst.
He repeatedly confirmed whether You Xunran was in a normal mental state, reluctantly withdrew the dial, and looked down at the food in the box: "Huh? Is this true... You got mushroom poisoning, didn't you? Hagi? Don't be so unscrupulous when blowing that brat..."
"I'm not poisoned, and it's not an illusion—I'm very alert right now," Hagiwara Kenji assured him. "Try it yourself, Jinpei! I'm not kidding, it's really delicious!"
Jinpei Matsuda felt that Yu Junran's sense of taste had probably been completely destroyed.
He looked at the pool of unidentified objects emitting black gas, and his eyes twitched: "Even if you say so, who in their right mind would want to try this..."
"Give it a try, Jinpei-chan. I've tried it myself," Hagiwara couldn't help but scoop another spoonful of potatoes and recommended it sincerely, "Don't tell me, Jinpei-chan, you don't dare..."
Matsuda crossed his arms and snorted disdainfully, "Do you think I'd fall for such an obvious provocation?"
But despite what he said, he couldn't help but examine the box of curry with curiosity. Finally, he tentatively dipped his chopsticks in a little, and his expression became complicated: "...this taste..."
It seems...really...
"Right, right?" Hagiwara Kenji finally succeeded in assimilating Kojinran and said with relief, "Because the strong contrast makes it even more surprising!"
Matsuda held his chopsticks, lost in thought.
His visual perception told him that there was no way this thing could be delicious, but the taste he actually put in his mouth made him feel complicated: Is this true... Does this thing taste real... And it smells pretty good... ?
——After this thought came to his mind, he found that he had already eaten half of the lunch box without realizing it. Hagiwara, who was sitting across from him, did not waste Asami's efforts, and they both eventually finished their lunch boxes.
In a corner that they didn't notice, the onlookers who came to have lunch exchanged shocked glances, and gathered in groups of three or four to whisper to each other.
That afternoon, such a rumor began to circulate in the Metropolitan Police Department.
"Have you heard? Captain Hagiwara and Captain Matsuda seemed to be eating shit in the cafeteria at noon today..."
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Author's Note: Shocking! The virgin twins actually did that kind of thing in the cafeteria...!
Today is also a successful Saturday (it would be better if I could finish writing it earlier (close my eyes))
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