AZI Volume 2 Chapter 4

"Makes sense as to why you know so much about his condition then. And…"

"What?"

"You got something to say, just say it."

Looking between Jing Yao and Nian Yao Yao, Long Hua can't help but think these two to be similar to a con-artist and their partner in crime.

"A man comes into the hospital asking for a cure to an odd injury. Jing, recommends the man a special med by praising it to be all-curing. Unfortunately, that med needs to be special ordered due to the rarity of its ingredient. Surprise, surprise, the man just so happens to conveniently have that ingredient back home. In comes the CEO of a shady company, who offers the man a shady trade deal."

"…"

"Screw you."

A sharp glare comes from Jing Yao, while a plain insult comes from Nian Yao Yao, to which Long Hua shrugs his shoulders.

No matter what, everything sounds far too shady from a bystander's point of view, and given enough time, the other side should also see this to be the case.

"Master."

"Hm?"

"Might I wait in the car when you're there?"

Towards Tian Cheng's odd request, Long Hua frowns, and perhaps misunderstanding that to mean that he isn't happy with her decision, she explains—

"I used to be employed in Zhou Chen's mansion. All the workers there are dolls like myself. They'll be able to recognize me with ease should they scan me."

"Fine. You can sit this one out."

Granting his permission, Long Hua's frown widens on the inside.

(An obvious lie. Even if it wasn't, with Tian Cheng's abilities, she should be able to hide her own identity with ease against those dolls. The fact that she isn't willing to go… Is it because of a more personal reason?)

Thinking this to perhaps be the case, Long Hua feels like Tian Cheng's behavior is reminiscent of a flesh and blood human.

(Well, it's not a bad thing, I guess?)

"Wait, if she's worked there in the past, does she have a map of the mansion?"

"I do."

"Oh?"

A teasing smile appears on Nian Yao Yao's face, as she turns to Long Hua.

"How did your thing go again? Next comes a grandmaster thief, who offers the shady CEO his services to steal that poor, poor gentleman's valuables."

"…"

Towards what Nian Yao Yao had just tacked onto his story from before, Long Hua didn't have much else to say other than to show his clear annoyance.

"…"

"…"

Meeting his eyes with Zhui Yun's, Long Hua could tell that he wasn't the only one that was annoyed.

(Meet. Me. Out. Side. After. Dinner.)

Is what is being said by Zhui Yun, who moves her lips without voicing her words aloud.

(Great, the hell does this imp want now?)

"So, he only employs dolls?"

In response to Jing Yao's question, Long Hua and Nian Yao Yao attempt to imagine—what it would be like living within a home, where one's sole company are dolls.

"This sounds like something right out of a cliché horror film. Actually, depending on interpretation, I could also see it as something sad…"

Saying this, Nian Yao Yao looks to Tian Cheng before redirecting her gaze at Long Hua in a hinting manner, to which—

"Buzz off. What exactly do you take me for? Besides, what sort of human would want to work under a Sinner?"

"It's rare, but not unseen."

Shrugging his shoulders, Long Hua replies—

"What others want or need to make themselves comfortable in their already miserable life in this sad, sad world isn't my concern. In any case, talk to me a bit more about this New Moon Village. How does it benefit NPI exactly?"

"Ingredients for IB-09, along with a powerful network of information. The Long Yue family might be extremely influential in the east, but not even they have a direct contact with New Moon Village."

Upon Nian Yao Yao's answer, Zhui Yun's expression becomes noticeably sour, to which Long Hua thought—

(She looks like she's been wronged or something… Heck it's as if her entire existence has just been insulted…)

Ignoring whatever it is that Zhui Yun is feeling from the conversation, Long Hua clears his throat, and says—

"I assume this is basically your get rich quick plan for the eventual takeover of your family?"

"Would take far more than just materialistic resources to drag that old hag down from her throne. There's plenty more to come. I'll tell you more about it after dinner since we've arrived at our destination."

As the car enters through an open gate that is a part of a black steel fence, Nian Yao Yao decides to postpone this discussion.

"Hm? An old western styled mansion…?"

Smoothly the car comes to a stop, and one of the female bodyguards walks out of it to open the rear doors.

(Doesn't the owner of this place find it odd to be living by himself in a place this large?)

Stepping out of the car, Long Hua finds himself standing in front of a three-floored mansion.

The front yard of this mansion is round in form—with trees that are cut into a uniformed shape surrounding it.

Other than these bits of greenery, the grounds of this mansion are surprisingly barren—giving off the impression that the owner hadn't spent much effort to enliven the place.

"Welcome, laoye expects you on the second floor."

Standing on the short staircase that leads up to the mansion's front entrance is a young girl dressed in a black and white maid uniform with a skirt that reaches her ankles.

Due to the odd appearance of the maid's eyes, one can easily tell that she is a doll.

"Lead us to him then."

Opening the doors, the maid steps to the side, and makes a welcoming gesture towards the group.

Stepping into the mansion, the group of four immediately sees a large staircase that leads up to the second floor.

"This way."

A second maid dressed in the same uniform guides the group onwards, while the maid from before shuts the doors.