Chapter 217

Page Seventy-Two

Believe in me!

I sat down on the sofa in the corner. The bar’s environment was quite dim, with only the neon lights on the walls casting a cold glow onto Sister Zǐ’s beautiful face, making her look like she had applied colorful heavy makeup.

“Jie, aren’t you really worried about being exposed after talking to the bartender like that?”

Sister Zǐ seemed indifferent to my concern.

“Fool, even if I said I was Lu Huangze, would anyone really believe me?”

Her smile was filled with helplessness.

As she said, the King of Sin, Lu Huangze from the underground shopping street, had already become a legendary figure.

“Telling him that ‘I’ am no longer here is also to make him give up any hope and not daydream like Dragon Strategy used to, hoping for me to return and rebuild Resurrection Gate.”

I turned around and looked at the bartender who was mixing drinks, feeling a sense of nostalgia. “But you truly have a lot of charm, to make so many people follow you so devotedly. Regardless, it’s impressive to be able to do that.”

Sister Zǐ’s fingers lightly touched her chin, and her lips curled into an elegant arc.

“It’s not just about charm. I think this should be called leadership charisma.”

“You’re really self-satisfied.”

“This is just stating facts.”

Perhaps because I returned here, compared to the recent gloominess, the vain personality of Lu Huangze has returned. This confidence and arrogance is what she calls “leadership charisma.”

“Two ladies, your cocktails and snacks.”

The bartender brought two glasses of cocktails, one fiery red and the other deep blue, clearly distinguishing which was “Blue Jellyfish” and which was “Volcano Kiss.”

The cups had LED lights at the bottom, illuminating the color of the drinks inside. Unfortunately, I hadn’t drunk much alcohol before, so I couldn’t tell how good his cocktail-making skills were.

The snacks were a nut platter and fried squid rings. However, the twisted tentacles of the squid with dry ice fog created a strange atmosphere under the dim neon lights, as if they were mysterious and indescribable objects summoned by cultists…

Sister Zǐ grabbed a piece of ancient deity’s foot and chewed it while squinting in appreciation.

“Although it’s been closed for a while, the fried squid here is still as delicious as ever.”

“This seems out of place for your taste. I thought Sister Zǐ would prefer something more elegant and upscale… like pastries and steak?”

I recalled Lu Huangze’s flamboyant medieval noble style.

She bit the end of the squid tentacle and licked the residue off her middle finger with her tongue, then smiled. “I understand what you mean. You think I’m not as pretentious as before?”

“Yeah, because now you don’t need to pretend anymore.”

“…What are you saying!”

I made a joke, and Sister Zǐ gave me a playful pinch, not painful but enough to make my heart race.

“There’s no need to be obsessed with these things. Now that I don’t even have my own organization, why would I want to show off?”

Sister Zǐ pushed the red cocktail cup in front of me.

Isn’t this called “Volcano Kiss”?

Feeling a sense of reverence for its fiery name, I cautiously took a sip.

“It’s so sweet!”

The sweetness of maple syrup combined with the inherent sweetness of rum maximized the spicy taste of alcohol, making it feel more like juice than a cocktail.

“You might not notice it while drinking, but the alcohol content is quite high.”

Sister Zǐ’s reminder.

Even though I hadn’t drunk much alcohol, such a small glass of cocktail wouldn’t knock me out, right? People like Sister Qian, who get drunk easily, are rare… uh!

When the rich sweetness dissipated, the unpleasant taste of alcohol still rose from my throat, is this a volcanic eruption?

After adapting to the burning sensation in my throat, I asked, “Sister Zǐ, do you have no intention of making a comeback? Of course, I don’t mean anything related to criminal organizations. I mean proper clubs or companies. I think you could manage them all well with your abilities.”

She shook her head.

“Boss hopes I will inherit her legacy someday.”

“A pharmaceutical company?”

Sister Zǐ lifted her chin and gently swirled the blue cocktail in her hand.

“The company is just a side thing. The main focus will be on the research institute. You should know this too. That’s what Boss envisions for the future.”

“Using modern science to minimize… no, completely eliminate the cost of using magic?”

“Yes, her ambition is to change the world, treating spells as a new form of technology.”

I reminded her, “That’s very dangerous.”

“I know, Boss knows too. So she doesn’t expect to achieve it in her lifetime, let alone me. It’s a long process like moving mountains, but she will use her resources to pave the way for me.”

Paving the way… hence the extreme secrecy and permanence of the Deep Research Institute built underground.

“Are you burying yourself in studying magic every day just to inherit Senior Sister’s research institute?” I asked again.

Sister Zǐ confirmed this.

“Yes, I’ve been living in the research institute recently and haven’t seen Xiao Li much.”

I frowned and asked, “Is there really no need to rush? Senior Sister is still young, and you could use this time to exercise. You look like tofu, and you stay up late every day.”

“Hmm, are you concerned about me?”

“Of course, can’t I care about you?”

Faced with her direct response, Sister Zǐ took a breath but didn’t speak.

“Thank you… About this, I also think Boss is rushing things, but magic is profound. It’s always better to master it sooner.”

The nuts on the table weren’t eaten much, but most of the fried squid disappeared. Sitting idly without progress, after chatting about some trivial topics, I finally mustered the courage to ask, “Sister Zǐ, although you didn’t transform through me, would you be willing to become my believer?”

“Believer?”

“Meaning to establish a closer relationship, like Lin Hua and Idiot. Sister Miāomiāo and the others are believers too.”

“It doesn’t sound like lovers… but I’m willing. How do we do that?”

“Establish the restraints you want me to help you establish?” ——Cherry Sauce asked knowingly.

She had previously mentioned that establishing a restraint wasn’t difficult. Like Master Hālìlùyà, who had temporary transformations, there must be other ways they established their restraints.

“It’s not difficult, but I should remind you… Other believers transformed through you, so for them, it’s not just a gift from a deity, but also a binding force. But there’s nothing like that on Zǐ Jìang. Even if she establishes a connection, she won’t owe you anything, and her mindset will be different from other believers.”

But I feel that the relationship between others and me is equal. I never see myself as someone who bestows favors from above.

“Regardless of what you think, as a deity, your lifespan will be longer than theirs. How long can this equality last?”

I wasn’t convinced by Cherry Sauce’s grand statements. Even if what she said was true, it would be in the future.

“If you insist, I’ll help establish the restraint now.” ——Cherry Sauce said.

A black thread climbed up Sister Zǐ’s chest, piercing through her yellow turtleneck sweater. Sister Zǐ frowned, her eyes squinting in discomfort.

I asked, “Does it hurt?”

Guided by the black substance, a visible milky white light band emerged from her heart, slowly extending towards mine. She covered her mouth and answered, “It doesn’t hurt, but it feels strange… um…”

Sister Zǐ emitted a sound that made my bones tingle, but I couldn’t tell what kind of feeling it was just from hearing it.

I glanced back at the bar counter and felt relieved. The bartender was dozing off again, oblivious to the abnormality here.

“…Ha… This feeling is so strange.”

Sister Zǐ’s restraint linked to my consciousness.

For a moment, her thoughts, five senses, and various memories uncontrollably surged forth.

“You really have heavy fake breasts.”

Sister Zǐ, who said this, clearly felt the same way.

The connected restraint gradually faded away, and Cherry Sauce said, “It’s done. The depth of shared sensations you experience at first connection is a side effect, and part of the soul through the restraint will be released. It will recover on its own soon.”

But even the tactile sensation was transmitted, which was incredibly intriguing.

However, I confirmed that Sister Zǐ was indeed wearing pantyhose today.

“It doesn’t matter what I wear! Was that voice Little Yīng?”

Because of this side effect, Sister Zǐ could even hear Cherry Sauce’s mental communication.

“It’s me, congratulations, Zǐ Jìang. From this moment on, you officially become one of Xiao Kai’s harem members!”

Hey, what is she talking about?

Sister Zǐ sighed.

“Harem… I don’t want to share my beloved with others, even though I know you can’t be exclusively mine.”

She supported herself on the table and leaned over, kissing my forehead… the feelings of both giving and receiving the kiss flooded my heart, making it pound violently.

“But at least today, you belong to me alone…”

For Sister Zǐ, this was already a rather bold move.

This made her face even redder, perhaps also due to the cocktails, even I felt my tongue dry.

Sister Zǐ’s ears seemed to malfunction; she bypassed the table and sat next to me, her warm body pressing against me, her eyes burning with a lion-like possessiveness.

Has the curse of the Love God’s arrow gone out of control?

Or did she simply stop suppressing herself after opening her heart?

Sister Zǐ extended her arms and wrapped them around my neck, burying her face into my neck as if seeking something, breathing greedily.

“Kai, I really like you.”

Despite her weak physical strength, even weaker than mine, I couldn’t refuse her at this moment…

“—Cough, cough, I apologize for interrupting your moment, but there are other guests coming in…” ——Cherry Sauce said.

The side effects of the restraint connection hadn’t subsided yet, and Cherry Sauce’s words were like a bucket of ice water poured over us, instantly cooling us down.

The bar door opened, and three or four men entered. After scanning the room, their gaze fell on me.

“—Hmm, they definitely don’t seem like regular guests.”