Chapter 206 Pure Love When she thought about what would happen next, she felt a little...
"I really should...keep my eyes on Mu-chan. Don't look away."
...Wow, there's a pervert... Did this guy just admit that he's been her stokers the whole time? Horrible.
The scene before him was beautiful and a little creepy. Chaomu actually controlled himself and did not lean back, but looked back calmly.
That handsome face was so close, so close that she could almost see his eyelashes. The sweet, cotton candy scent on him almost enveloped her—until it was neutralized and replaced by the gunpowder smell on Hayato Gokudera's body.
The silver-haired young man instinctively grasped her shoulders and protected her behind him, his body completely blocking her. "Please stay away from such a dangerous person... Miss Mu."
He was like a dynamite that could explode at any moment, killing his enemies while also killing himself. Ever since he learned of Sawada Tsunayoshi's "death", he had been in this state almost all the time.
Chaomu sometimes felt that it was a bit hurt that his senior brother didn't tell him the truth, but he had to admit that Yusi's reaction was the best cover for faking his death... But that's not the point. The point is that Bai Lan is just an asshole playing with matches next to a barrel of explosives.
"Oh, Mr. Zhongquan is angry." Even though he saw the murderous intent in Mukudera's eyes, he remained calm and spoke in a long tone, "I was just saying hello to your lovely young lady. There's no need to be so nervous, right, Mukudera-kun?"
"After all, I don't actually plan to do anything to Mu-chan... Mu-chan is very important to me," those purple eyes curved slightly, and the tattoo looked like some kind of strange totem. "In this boring world, Mu-chan is my only..."
Toys? Fun? Either way, it doesn't sound like a good word.
Before Chaomu could interrupt him, another person spoke before her.
"Mr. Bai Lan seems to have stayed here a little too long—there are other guests coming to pay their respects," Yamamoto Takeshi said cheerfully. "If you have nothing else to do, could you please move to another seat?"
His hand held the long-handled black umbrella steadily, the umbrella tilted, completely covering Chaomu and Yusi beside her in dry shadow. There was no smile in his amber eyes: "If you want to see Miss Mu later, please go to the staff over there to make an appointment... As for now, the important ceremony is still going on. If anyone interferes..."
He wielded the black umbrella like a sword: "It will be very difficult for me to deal with it."
The aura was quite dangerous, and Bai Lan narrowed her eyes slightly.
"Make an appointment..." He said briskly, knowing when to stop, "That's true. After all, Mu-chan is the most important person in the Vongola family now... I'm sorry for being abrupt. Please make an appointment for me this afternoon."
At this moment, the white-haired young man acted politely, as if the frivolous, aggressive man from earlier was just an illusion. Under the guardians' wary gaze, he even smiled and offered a gentlemanly courtesy to Chaomu. "I hope you can spare me enough time. After all, there's so much I want to talk to you about..."
"I look forward to our official meeting, my lovely... Miss Agent."
This strange man arrived unexpectedly and left abruptly, leaving Yu Si with a frown, disapproving, "Do you really want to agree to a private meeting with him? That Bai Lan is very dangerous, please don't..."
"Don't worry, Gokudera-kun," the young lady, who had just been wearing a black veil and had a frosty face, patted his head gently, breathed a sigh of relief, temporarily ended her role-playing, and raised the corners of her lips. "Things are progressing according to plan... Judging from the current progress, it feels like we can achieve our goal during the meeting."
Byakuran is also working hard to push the plot forward, and the next step is probably that she will be "forced" to hand over the Vongola ring in the tug-of-war.
Her eyes cast towards the crowd in the distance. Just as Bai Lan left, several men, also wearing white uniforms, emerged silently from the edge of the crowd and passed through the whispering mafia members like ghosts.
When she looked over, she only saw a few departing figures... and a message left by Akai Shuichi on the communication interface: ["Byakuran invites Gin to be our 'guest'."]
As for what kind of guests they were, Chaomu naturally knew it all: although the organization and the Jesso family were allies, Bai Lan had invited them now, obviously to control her...
...But why did Byakuran bring Gin along? Did he really think he could be used as a hostage to control her? What was his method of judgment? Was Gin her neighbor? Or was he unsure of her exact relationship to the four people and therefore had to take them all along?
She thought about it in her mind, and had a rough idea of Bai Lan's observation range. She sent another message to Shirakawa: ["Please, as I asked you to do before, keep an eye on Hagi and Matsu... The enemy might be Geto Suguru."]
Bai Lan's influence in Japan is mainly extended to the Black Organization and Panxing Cult. The main force of the organization's action team is now here. If Bai Lan wants to rescue more hostages, the probability of Panxing Cult taking action is higher.
Whether the resistance is successful or not is not very important. Judging from Bai Lan's actions, he should not do anything to her friends before getting the ring - but being unprepared and resisting is also a flaw, and she needs to fill this gap.
[“Sure, but I’ll have to pay more.”] Shi’er replied quickly, [“You’ve left twice without saying goodbye, so your reward will be doubled.”]
This was pure bluffing. Their contracts had been restored, and there was actually no way to negotiate terms with her.
Chaomu coldly ignored him and tried to coax Yusi: "In any case, Yusi-kun, you can rest assured. Everything is going according to plan... and the meeting is on our home turf, isn't it? If you're worried, you can always come along. It's better than being cowardly."
"If I don't dare to meet with Bai Lan because I'm worried about my personal safety, my authority as the acting leader will be reduced to zero."
She can play this part in her true colors, since that's just her personality...she has no obligation to back down!
As she said this, her spirits were high, as if she had already secured victory. Yamamoto beside her also regained his smile and echoed, "That's right, Yuji, with us here, nothing will happen to Miss Mu, okay?"
Seeing her like this, the prickling anxiety in Yusi's heart was inexplicably soothed by her.
"...I understand," he exhaled, lowering his head slightly, "I'm not just a baseball idiot... I will fully cooperate with your plan."
He must protect her. This is the last order left by the Tenth Generation...
...But there was a faint voice in his heart telling him that even without the Judaime's order, he was willing to...believe her.
——————
It was midday in Sicily. A light rain had begun to blow, and a strong wind suddenly blew. Lightning flashed through the dark clouds. Bean-sized raindrops pounded densely against the reception room glass, like drums beating for the coming battle.
Bailan Jesuo sat at one end of the long table, leaning back in a relaxed manner. Even though he was only with one subordinate and was in the enemy's headquarters, he was still quite relaxed, as if he was sure of victory.
In the bone china cup in front of him, the liquid reflected his smiling face: "The weather is really bad today... This is the first time I have a conversation with you, Mu-chan, on a day like this. How should I put it... It feels a little bit fatalistic, right?"
"Mu-chan, do you believe in fate? The encounter between you and me, and the ending of the story."
He emphasized the word "fate" a little, implying something. Chaomu sat across from him, lowering his head and taking a sip of tea.
"Whether I believe it or not is not the question for now. You seem to believe in fate quite a lot," she asked. "You seem to think you've already won—why? Even if you succeed in assassinating my senior brother, the Vongola family is far from being pushed to the brink of despair."
This was also the question she was curious about when discussing with Reborn: Why is Byakuran so confident?
In response to her question, the white-haired young man smiled tolerantly.
"Mu-chan is indeed very perceptive. I do believe in fate. Everyone has a destiny destined for them, and they can't even resist it—resistance only adds to the difficulties, and it's the same for me." His eyebrows curved slightly. "In this world, only you are different. You can change the fate of others at will, while I am at most a demigod. I know more than everyone else, so I can only seize the initiative."
When saying that she was a demigod, Bai Lan's tone was quite frank, without any shame, as if she was simply stating the fact: "Since you are asking, Mu-chan, I don't mind telling you... I can see it, you know? My own destiny... and the destiny of others."
In human cognition, this is indeed an authority that only those close to gods possess. And his powerful ability is indeed enough to support him to say such a childish thing.
"My destiny is to become Tsunayoshi-kun's nemesis. Most of the time, I succeed in destroying him, but occasionally, I fail... At least, in millions of worlds, this only happened once—Tsunayoshi-kun destroyed the Vongola ring, allowing my ten-year-old self to defeat me. Even though my victory should have been a foregone conclusion, fate is so unreasonable."
At this point, he pretended to wipe away two tears and lamented, "I'm just that weak, you know? I only made this decision to rebel against my predetermined fate... Although the me in that failed parallel world wasn't a good person either, and I deserved to die, but as the only one who is aware of the existence of 'fate', I still want to live, so I summarized the experiences of everyone's success or failure... At least I can avoid the only 'correct' world line. Plus, our world is very special, with so many people here, including you, Mu-chan."
"Murakami-chan, won't you comfort me a little? I almost became a pathetic loser, huh?"
This guy... is indeed a tax evader.
Although he felt that the player himself had a greater chance of winning, Chaomu was almost amused by him.
"When you truly become a pathetic loser, I'll begrudgingly offer you comfort," she said expressionlessly. "So, what are you planning to do today? Simply to discuss fatalistic theology and show off your... breakthrough in fate?"
What are you talking about? You can't skip the dialogue in special events.
"Of course not." Bai Lan elegantly picked up the sugar cube clip on the table, picked up a sugar cube, and put it into the cup of black tea in front of him - although before that, this guy who loves sweets had already added five sugar cubes into it.
"I'm here today to take what's rightfully mine." He raised his eyes, his violet pupils piercing through the steaming heat as he stared directly at the girl across from him. "The Vongola of today can't protect something like that, right? To avoid unnecessary casualties, Mu-chan, it's best to just be straightforward and give me what I want, okay?"
Even though his intentions were already known to everyone, the moment he openly stated them, the air in the reception room fell into a nearly frozen silence. Gokudera Hayato and Yamamoto Takeshi, who were listening in, had already been struggling to process the overwhelming amount of information, and their nerves grew even more tense upon hearing this request.
Chaomu was fine - although she acted like she was flinching.
I have to say it feels really fun to pretend to be a pig and eat the tiger... She felt like laughing when she thought about what would happen next.
"...So what if I know?" She perfectly portrayed a girl who was forcing herself to panic but then straighten up. She was the first to break the silence, crossing her legs and asking, "I won't give it to you—I still say that, I don't understand why you think you have a sure win. You're Italian, you should know it's not a good idea to open champagne at halftime, right?"
Bai Lan didn't seem surprised by her reaction.
"There are indeed many seemingly uncertain factors in football matches - but whether it's fate or human intervention, perhaps everything has already been predetermined." He supported his chin and said lightly, "It's true that you can't control your fate, Mu-chan, but there are always ordinary people around you... like the police officer you risked your life to save, and like... the thorn you planted among my allies?"
"Mortals are always so fragile. Police officers from the Explosives Disposal Unit could both die at the hands of the same bomber, and undercover agents could commit suicide after a failed undercover mission... They might have their destiny in their 'little world', but a curse beyond their understanding could easily devour them... Of course, they could also die in Italy."
It turns out to be this routine.
It's nothing new.
It's not bad, it's better than locking all the hostages in different places, tying bombs to them and letting her choose one to rescue.
She asked about the situation on Shin'er's side, and the answer she got was [Although there were people from the Panxing Sect lurking, Geto Suguru had no intention of taking action himself] - Bai Lan obviously didn't know that his allies had no intention of working for him wholeheartedly.
That's right. After all, she saved Geto's parents. Even if he called her a monkey, it wouldn't be too extreme. The last time they met, he clearly didn't want to go against her. He must have been thinking of her kindness, hahahaha!
Even though he knew what was going on, a trace of panic crossed the player's face. He then forced himself to remain calm and said, "What ordinary friends? Who are you talking about? I have a lot of friends, and many of them are unimportant."
So cute... like a wild cat cornered... no, a wild raccoon. Even though it's scared, it still forces itself to stand up and raise its claws to intimidate its enemy.
The smile in Bai Lan's eyes deepened.
"It doesn't really matter whether it's important or not. Mu-chan is a kind-hearted person, right? No matter how close your relationship is... if everyone connected to you could die because of you, you wouldn't stand by and watch them die, right?" He slowed his tone and casually ordered the subordinates behind him, "Kikyo, call up the screen."
"Yes, Master Bai Lan," the green-haired man replied swiftly, projecting a 3D image. "Please look, Miss Chaomu."
The light of the stereoscopic image lit up in the dim room, projecting onto the center of the long table.
The first scene was a dimly lit prison cell, where several men in black suits were tied to chairs, their expressions dejected. They were members of a small family that depended on the Vongola family, and had become innocent victims of the turmoil and were easily eliminated.
"These people don't actually have much to do with you, Mu-chan. It's mainly Tsunayoshi-kun's failure that put them in this situation, you know?" Byakuran's voice was as brisk as if she were introducing a dish. "But now, Mu-chan, you're the acting head of the Vongola family... so there should be some connection, right? I suggest that Mu-chan pretend not to see it. After all, things like this will happen frequently in the future."
Hayato Gokudera's fists were clenched under the table, and Yamamoto Takeshi increased the strength of the hand on his shoulder, signaling him to calm down.
A hint of paleness appeared on Chao Mu's face at the right time, and her fingers on the table curled up slightly. This subtle movement was seen by Bai Lan.
"It seems that Mu-chan is indeed a kind-hearted child." The corners of his lips rose slightly, and he snapped his fingers, and the scene changed. "If the people above can be said to have nothing to do with you, then the next few people should be more familiar to you."
This time, the scene changed to an exquisite room, like a suite in a high-end hotel. Akai Shuichi, Furuya Rei, and Morofushi Kagemitsu were confined indoors and seemed to be having a conversation.
They didn't appear to be seriously injured, but their faces looked grim, and their hands and feet were shackled. As the camera panned out, countless guards in white uniforms surrounded the room.
"Mu-chan, you should be more familiar with these guys, right?" Bai Lan's tone was playful. "Although they are my allies, since they have a close relationship with Mu-chan, that gentleman shouldn't mind borrowing them for a while. After all, even Gin-kun is willing to lend them to me... Oh, yes, Gin-kun is over here. He has a private room."
When the scene switched, Chaomu almost burst out laughing. In that room, which looked a notch better than the three people at Whiskey's, the silver-haired man was smoking a cigarette with a slightly irritated look on his face, the handcuffs on his wrists jingling, and he seemed to be lip-syncing, saying, "Are you all sick?"
"Gin-kun has a slightly worse temper, so I put a little thing on his neck," Bai Lan introduced enthusiastically, "If Gin-kun wants to rebel, his collar will explode into the sky with a bang - would Kogure want to see fireworks like that?"
Chaomu: “…………”
She pinched her thigh hard, and in an instant thought of all the sad things she had encountered in her life, revealing a complex expression of nervousness, fear and sadness.
"...That's terrible," her voice was barely perceptible, and was twisted into a trembling smile by herself, "Byakuran, you bastard...what are you going to do to my dear Gin-chan!"
The words "Dear Gin-chan" were cried out with such sincerity, tears in his voice, and it was so moving that Gin himself would probably get goosebumps when he heard it.
Bai Lan was obviously very satisfied with her reaction.
He looked at the girl's face, which was pale with fear, and his smile grew even happier.
The so-called person who defies fate is ultimately just a mortal, and the only "variable" will be bound by "mortal emotions"... and eventually beg for mercy from him.
"It seems that Mu-chan really cares about them." He stood up and walked up to the girl under the murderous gazes of the two guardians. He patted her head gently and comforted her, "Don't worry, I won't do anything to your friends for the time being. After all, Mu-chan is very important to me. I still care about your opinion, okay?"
"But... if Mu-chan doesn't cooperate, the story might have taken a different turn." Noticing the girl trembling violently under his palm, as if his defenses had finally been broken, the white-haired man curved his eyebrows slightly, leaned down, and patiently coaxed her into his ear, "But it doesn't matter. This is very simple. As long as Mu-chan stands by me, becomes my most important companion, and then gives me the Vongola ring... the world will become peaceful, okay? No one will die because of your failure..."
"So, what are your choices?"
Chaomu saved a file.
"You...don't even think about it..." She was shaking violently from trying to hold back her laughter. She felt that this plot was a little too funny. "My senior brother gave it to me...how could I just give it to a bastard like you..."
"If Tsunayoshi-kun were still here, he would surely want to protect everyone," Byakuran pinched her chin, staring into those beautiful golden eyes that suddenly shrank, and coaxed her gently, "So, Mu-chan, you don't have to be so stubborn. After all, this isn't your fault..."
"Look, Mu-chan, it could have been so simple. All you had to do was nod, and everyone you cared about would be safe and sound. Isn't that a pretty good deal?"
That’s about it…I think it’s almost done pulling!
Since the information was saved anyway, Chaomu decided to give it a try - otherwise if she continued like this she would really have to go to school as a day student - and she would never live in school again.
"...I can give you the ring...at least the Daisora ring first." She pursed her lips and reached into her pocket under Mukudera's incredulous gaze. "I'll try other people's rings too...but Yun Que will definitely not agree. You have to deal with his matter yourself."
"Miss Mu! How could you——"
But she looked like she had completely lost control of herself, and with trembling fingers she took out the ring box.
Sure enough... Although she may not have the authority to take back the rings of other guardians, the Daikong Ring is indeed in her hand.
Bai Lan, who had anticipated this, raised her eyebrows slightly and took the ring box before the guardians behind her could grab it. "A wise choice, Mu-chan, I really like you..."
He opened the box and was immediately drawn to the ancient large ring. The second he saw...
There's a second ring in the box?
The moment she saw the seemingly ordinary silver ring, a sharp sense of crisis suddenly flashed through Bai Lan's mind.
But it was too late—the moment he took the ring box and accepted the "ring," this unreasonable contract had already been established. The silver ring was almost instantly slipped onto his ring finger, locking him in place.
Chaomu didn't have to hold back his laughter this time.
"Even though I...hahahaha...deceived you, I am sincere to you, Byakuran-chan!" She held his hand affectionately, took back the Daisora ring, and at the same time, pulled off the Mare ring on his hand. "Since you like me and I like you, why don't you marry into the Vongola family? First, send that somewhat annoying subordinate of yours back to her family, and by the way, get rid of the Jesso family... Never mind, let's talk about this problem later. Teacher Reborn hasn't taught me how to deal with it afterwards..."
"Oh, these are not the important points. First, give the order to release everyone - except Gin! Don't release Gin yet!"
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The author has something to say: It seems... I need another chapter... to continue writing...
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