Chapter 962: |
"Speaking of food, don't you think all those street vendors sell Chinese breakfast?" Sun Huiwen remarked while looking around.
Liu Xing looked at the nearby breakfast vendors and realized that most of the breakfast offerings were Chinese, including buns, soy milk, and doughnuts, while the ramen shops that are common in the Island Nation were nowhere to be found here.
Most importantly, the signs in Morio Town were mostly written in traditional Chinese characters.
"It seems that Morio Town is a Chinatown," Li Hanxing mused, stroking his chin. "No, this place must be a Chinese enclave."
Liu Xing nodded, finally understanding why Matsui Yui had instructed him to inquire about Mai Yuqiang’s whereabouts from the locals upon reaching Morio Town. It turned out that Morio Town was a Chinese enclave, and by posing as a distant relative of Mai Yuqiang, he should easily gather information on Mai's whereabouts.
Before proceeding, however, Liu Xing decided to enjoy a proper breakfast since it had been a long time since he had a genuine Chinese breakfast.
Firstly, one should never trust the "authentic" signs at Chinese restaurants abroad because their dishes are often adapted to suit local tastes unless the local Chinese population significantly outweighs the foreigners, which is unlikely since businesses aim to make money.
Thus, in the Island Nation, the flavors of various Chinese cuisines had strangely altered, something Liu Xing found tolerable but unnecessary to trouble himself over. Back at Sawada Estate, Liu Xing and his friends had started cooking for themselves, managing stir-fries and soups but struggling with dough-based dishes.
Considering this, Liu Xing pointed to a nearby Cantonese dim sum restaurant and suggested, "It's still early, let's go for dim sum. Besides, Mai Yuqiang is from Macau, so he probably enjoys it."
As the leader, Liu Xing’s suggestion was readily accepted by Li Hanxing and Sun Huiwen, and they walked into the restaurant named Li's Restaurant. Despite its grandiose name, the restaurant was quite modest, spanning only one floor.
Although it was early, nine out of ten tables were already occupied, so Liu Xing and his friends ended up sharing a table with a young man in a school uniform.
This student didn’t sport the typical over-styled hairdo.
After Liu Xing’s group ordered in Chinese, the student struck up a conversation, saying, "Oh, you are also Chinese? Rare guests indeed."
Liu Xing nodded and replied with a smile, "Yes, we just arrived in Nagoya yesterday. We heard that the Chinese restaurants here are very authentic, so we came to find something good to eat, considering we often travel around the world for work and haven't had the chance to enjoy authentic Chinese food in a long time."
The young man nodded in understanding, "Then you've come to the right place. About 90% of Morio Town’s residents are Chinese, so the Chinese restaurants here are very authentic and haven't been altered to fit the local tastes."
Liu Xing raised an eyebrow, surprised by the number of Chinese in Morio Town. Combining this with what Matsui Yui had mentioned earlier, Morio Town was indeed a place full of hidden talents, and if judging by Mai Yuqiang’s capabilities, the skilled individuals here could probably take down a moderately powerful Great Old One.
This meant that if Liu Xing could persuade the local masters to join the Warrior Faction, he could potentially secure the top spot on the contribution board since these were all powerful combatants.
However, Liu Xing only entertained the thought briefly, as the hidden masters in Morio Town had settled here to avoid their enemies and would unlikely reveal themselves easily for an outsider’s request. Furthermore, the internal dynamics within the Warrior Faction were already tumultuous, and introducing a new group would not be well-received.
After all, no one liked unexpected competition.
So, Liu Xing abandoned this impractical idea.
By this time, Li Hanxing had already become friends with the young man.
The young man, named Wang Haiyang, had moved to the Island Nation a few years ago with his family, initially living in Nagoya before moving to Morio Town after learning about it. He chose to live here because the environment was similar to back home in China, and the residential prices were favorable for Chinese people.
As they continued chatting, Liu Xing suddenly asked, "Have you heard of Mai Yuqiang?"
"Mai Yuqiang? You mean the strong man Mai Yuqiang, the one who is taller and broader than me?" Wang Haiyang pondered for a moment, "He's a legendary figure in Morio Town. He runs a fish store and often goes to the nearby docks to buy fresh fish. He always walks there and carries back hundreds of pounds of fish without breaking a sweat. I think he could compete in strongman contests because even with such heavy loads, Mai Yuqiang walks briskly and doesn't even seem to breathe hard."
As he spoke, Wang Haiyang gave a knowing smile, "Not only is Mai Yuqiang muscular, but he also has a celebrity-like face, so he has a lot of admirers in Morio Town. There’s even a nightclub owner from Tokyo who offered him a hefty sum to work for him."
Wang Haiyang’s story was cut short as a looming shadow fell over Mai Yuqiang’s head.
"And then?" asked Liu Xing.
"There's no more then..." Wang Haiyang grabbed his backpack and stood up, "Ah, I’m going to be late. I’ll leave first, and today’s meal is on me."
With that, Wang Haiyang ran out.
Clearly, Mai Yuqiang had arrived.
To Liu Xing, Mai Yuqiang looked like a three-dimensional version of Kujo Jotaro, especially with his heavily styled hair. Liu Xing thought if Mai used his head to attack, he would definitely get a damage bonus.
Yet, Mai Yuqiang’s demeanor was surprisingly refined, contrary to his physical appearance.
No wonder Wang Haiyang felt comfortable joking with him.
Then Mai Yuqiang sat down, staring at Liu Xing, "If I'm not mistaken, we've never met before, so what brings you to me today?"
Liu Xing didn’t beat around the bush and pulled out a small box from his pocket, "I'm a friend of Matsui Yui, and she asked me to give this to you."
Mai Yuqiang raised an eyebrow, took the box without opening it, and continued to stare at Liu Xing, "So, does this mean Matsui Yui's father is about to unlock the huge secret under Fisher's Village?"
Liu Xing was surprised to hear Mai Yuqiang mention the "huge secret."
He had always thought Matsui Yui exaggerated, but hearing Mai Yuqiang’s confirmation made him reconsider the seriousness of this secret.
"That's right, Matsui Yui has already returned to the Island Nation to prepare, and her father is on his way," Liu Xing responded.
Mai Yuqiang nodded, accepted a few steamer baskets from the waiter, and said, "Let’s have breakfast first, then we can talk more at my place."
Half an hour later, they arrived at Mai Yuqiang's home.
"You can tell Matsui Yui that I will definitely help," Mai Yuqiang stated earnestly. "I’ll be there as promised at Fisher's Village. But right now, I do have a favor to ask of you."
Before he could continue, KP Duanqiao timely stepped forward, announcing a new Side Quest—"Mai Yuqiang’s Marvelous Adventure," to help Mai Yuqiang with some minor troubles.
"Minor troubles? KP, are you sure someone as strong as Mai Yuqiang would have troubles that someone like me can meddle in?" Liu Xing couldn’t help but retort.
Aware of his own capabilities, Liu Xing didn’t think he could resolve what Mai referred to as "minor" troubles.
Anticipating Liu Xing’s reluctance, KP Duanqiao added, "Of course, you can refuse to help Mai Yuqiang, and you will still receive your due rewards. But I must remind you, Liu Xing, that Mai Yuqiang’s character is such that if you help me, I will help you in return."
Faced with KP Duanqiao’s clear hint, Liu Xing decisively told Mai Yuqiang, "Since we’re both friends of Matsui Yui, let’s round it off and consider ourselves brothers. So, just say the word, and I’ll help as much as I can."
Hearing this, Mai Yuqiang didn’t hold back and nodded, "Since you’re Matsui Yui’s friends, you should know that many people in Morio Town are hiding here for various reasons. To put it plainly, it’s because they’re being hunted by various forces. So, we often have pursuers entering Morio Town to cause trouble, prompting us locals to form a Morio Town Protection Association to deal swiftly with these threats to prevent any harm to innocents."
"Currently, the Morio Town Protection Association has sixty-eight members, their strength comparable to elder-level mythical creatures, or else they couldn’t have fled China to here. Our enemies are not to be underestimated. For example, our current president came here because he offended the Swollen Woman, and you must be aware of such a terrifying entity."
Liu Xing nodded, frowning, "So, the trouble you’re facing is related to the Swollen Woman?"
Mai Yuqiang affirmed, "Exactly, lately, for some reason, the pursuers sent by Sw
ollen Woman have been increasing... I know you might ask why we can’t just leave Morio Town and seek refuge elsewhere, like in the United States, where the mythical creatures and Great Old Ones stick to their territories, making transcontinental chases rare."
"But let me tell you, Morio Town is actually a trap, a trap that Swollen Woman has prepared for many years. Long ago, Swollen Woman’s minions came here to build a small fishing village, which gradually became today’s Morio Town, and generally, only Chinese people are recruited to live here, making it a renowned Chinese enclave. So, those who flee China to escape mythical creatures or secret cults often choose to live in Morio Town."
"Initially, the first batch of people were Swollen Woman’s minions. Once the number in the Morio Town Protection Association exceeded fifty, Swollen Woman’s minions began to reveal their identities, turning Morio Town into a large-scale Werewolf game. No one knows how many minions Swollen Woman has placed in Morio Town, but more importantly, Swollen Woman has set a trap in the building housing the Morio Town Protection Association. Anyone joining the association is branded and thereafter unable to leave Morio Town."
"Of course, leaving Morio Town isn’t impossible; you just need to deal with three werewolves, or Swollen Woman’s minions. Some reveal themselves and attack directly, while others lurk in Morio Town under the guise of normal people. But overall, it’s a case of too many monks and not enough porridge, so I’ve only managed to eliminate two werewolves so far. However, I’ve recently identified a suspicious target, which I suspect might be the key to leaving Morio Town, so I need you to help investigate this target."
Hearing this, Li Hanxing was surprised, "Swollen Woman really knows how to play the game. I didn’t expect such maneuvers, but considering we met you in broad daylight, won’t those werewolves suspect our identities?"
"Of course, but interestingly, Swollen Woman’s minions who infiltrate Morio Town also do not know the full truth."
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Chapter 963 Bai Liang