Chapter 239

Page Ninety-One: The Great Live Broadcast Operation

A familiar scene with a strong sense of déjà vu unfolded again in the classroom after school.

“Let me go! I’m going to help Sister Yǐjī today!”

“No way, no matter what you say, you’re coming with me to the store today!”

On the day Xiao Lěi was scheduled to work, Sister Qiūluó would arrive at the classroom right on time to take her… Even on days she didn’t have to work herself, she made sure to escort Xiao Lěi to the manga café.

Lǐn Huā said, “You can take her, but could you give us a ride too?”

With ease, Sister Qiūluó carried the struggling Xiao Lěi and asked, “Where are you headed?”

“Low-Rent Apartment, it’s on the way,” I answered.

“Take me along too then, I also need to head to the Research Institute.”

Upon hearing they were going to the low-rent apartment, Sister Zǐ decided to join them as well.

I asked, “Zǐ, are you going to analyze that bracelet?”

Since noon, Lǐn Huā’s bracelet had been in Sister Zǐ’s possession. According to their agreement, it was borrowed for analysis at the Research Institute to reverse-engineer the unknown magical theories… This task sounded quite complex.

“No, Boss said she’d handle the bracelet analysis, but I still have other research tasks, so I’ll be heading to the Research Institute anyway.”

In order to follow in her senior sister’s footsteps, Sister Zǐ was working very hard, even to the point where I thought she might be overdoing it. Her thirst for magical knowledge was evident, which was essential for a researcher.

Sister Qiūluó nodded and patted Xiao Lěi’s butt on her shoulder.

“Alright then, let’s go together. My car is big enough for all of us!”

Xiao Lěi, thrown into the car, gave up struggling. Her eyes were hollow, as if the world had abandoned her. She seemed like a pig being led to slaughter, powerless against her fate.

They arrived at their destination, got out, and looked back, seeing nothing but durians.

“I’ll go to the café now.”

Lǐn Huā encouraged her, “Lěi, put your best effort into today’s work!”

Sister Qiūluó added, “I’ll drop off Xiǎo Kǎi first, then I’ll come back at 9:30 PM to pick you up.”

So, even on non-working days, Sister Qiūluó was acting as a full-time driver?

On the way to the low-rent apartment, I asked.

“Sister Qiūluó, since Senior Lóngkuí isn’t around, does that mean today it’s Xiàlù and Xiao Lěi’s shift?”

“They’ve hired new people already. Actually, Xiàlù seems to be planning to quit after this month.”

“Really? That sudden!”

At first, it seemed surprising, but then it made sense. Given her temper, it was a miracle she lasted this long. Initially, she only became a maid under threat from Sister Miāomiāo. It was understandable that her patience finally ran out…

Sister Qiūluó corrected herself, “Actually, it’s not quitting, more like preparing to switch jobs.”

That was even more surprising.

“…Oh? Is she planning to become a maid at Peach Cat?”

“Yeah, how did you know?”

I shrugged, “Her fiancé is the manager of Peach Cat, and he’s obsessed with maid outfits, so this was bound to happen eventually.”

But Lin Zǐyè had always been opposed to Xiàlù working at the café. He considered her a bad example of a maid…

Actually, I agreed with him.

Her sudden decision to switch jobs must have been due to something that happened after Saturday, changing Lin Zǐyè’s mind.

I asked further, “Has Manager Shēnyáng said anything about Xiàlù switching jobs?”

Though they were brothers, that cunning turtle hermit was probably not as open-minded as Mr. Tuōhǎi.

When the topic of the manager came up, Sister Qiūluó laughed heartily.

“What could he say? His fake beard fell off in anger! But even if he wanted to, he couldn’t keep someone tied to the store.”

Ah, so that fluffy white beard was fake.

Sister Qiūluó continued, “He’s not just angry about that. Xiàlù not only switched jobs, but she also recommended the tailor shop that made the maid outfits to the manager of Peach Cat. Calling her a corporate spy wouldn’t be an exaggeration.”

The maid outfits for Kamehameha were made at the Yang family’s tailor shop. Since Xiàlù knew Fēiyuè, she could easily connect the dots.

“That’s terrible. Xiàlù knows many secrets about Kamehameha, which is not good from a competitive standpoint.”

For example, secret areas filled with R18 content… Although I hadn’t been there, I imagined it smelled like heather.

Because Lin Zǐyè was a fan of maid outfits, every maid at Peach Cat Coffee Shop had multiple outfits, meaning more orders. For Fēiyuè, this was undoubtedly great news.

Despite Xiàlù’s actions, Lǐn Huā merely shrugged.

“This is just normal business behavior. They should have signed confidentiality agreements beforehand.”

The car stopped in front of the low-rent apartment.

“Whoosh—”

Sister Qiūluó whistled and said, “We’re here. Do you want me to wait?”

“No need, we can manage on our own.”

Today, they came here to discuss tomorrow’s operation with Sister Yǐjī. Though it wouldn’t take much time, it wouldn’t be polite to make Sister Qiūluó wait.

“I’ll leave then. If anything comes up, feel free to call me.”

With a press of the gas pedal, Sister Qiūluó drove away from the low-rent apartment’s courtyard.

Upstairs in the apartment, Sister Zǐ asked, “Would you like to grab dinner?”

“No, we’ll eat when we get back.”

“Then I’ll head to the Research Institute.”

She turned right toward the elevator to room 205, while I and Lǐn Huā turned left to knock on door 202.

“Who is it? Coming, coming!”

AJ’s distinctive loud voice opened the door, recognizing us.

“Oh, why are you here? Is there any progress with Sister Tāo’s side?”

Lǐn Huā rolled her eyes and said, “Cold, let us in first before you talk.”

This bedroom-turned-recording studio remained unchanged, never seeing natural light. The recent rain made the air damp, with mold spots appearing on the soundproofing foam in the corners.

Staying in such an environment could lead to Sister Yǐjī growing mushrooms on her head.

Lǐn Huā sat on the bed and pointed to Sister Yǐjī, who was lost in singing in the recording booth, “We need to discuss some matters with Sister Yǐjī. Can you ask her to pause her live stream for about half an hour?”

“Oh? She hasn’t started streaming yet. She’s just practicing.”

AJ pulled open the recording studio door, and a gentle soprano drifted out, accompanied by guitar melodies, causing goosebumps.

I rubbed my arms and remarked, “Wow, Sister Yǐjī’s singing is amazing!”

Her voice was as beautiful as ever, yet still hard to remember. Sister Yǐjī had yet to find her unique style.

“…Oh, it’s Little Lingmèng and Little Lǐnhuā?”

After finishing her song, Sister Yǐjī noticed the commotion outside and stepped out of the small recording booth.

“Did something happen with Sister Tāo?”

Her face looked pale from lack of sunlight.

Lǐn Huā replied, “It’s not Sister Tāo’s issue, but we’ve managed to lure members of the Glorious Family here. We plan to interrogate them somewhere, and Kǎi-Chan has a clever idea. I think it’s worth trying, so I came to ask for your opinions… Thank you.”

AJ brought two cups of hot water.

The newly renovated room 202 lacked air conditioning, but a small heater was placed inside the recording booth. Fortunately, the soundproofing foam on the walls helped retain heat, making the room warmer than outside.

Sister Yǐjī looked at me.

“Go ahead, is there anything we need to assist with?”

I set down my tea cup and asked, “Would Sister Yǐjī consider doing an outdoor live stream?”

“Outdoor live stream? But I’m a virtual streamer now.”

“You can stay in the recording booth. We’ll send you the live footage, which will be displayed as background for the audience, and you can use your charm to guide them.”

“Guide them to do what? What kind of footage are you planning to capture?”

Perhaps I explained it too vaguely, but Sister Yǐjī still didn’t understand my intentions.

“I want you to expose the crimes of the Glorious Family. Broadcast their covert transactions and intentions through the live stream. This would be a huge story. If successful, reaching twenty thousand viewers shouldn’t be difficult.”

AJ frowned and said, “That’s not advisable. The platform might ban the stream for profit reasons.”

“Sister Tāo mentioned reaching twenty thousand viewers, but didn’t specify the platform. If Douluo causes trouble, we can try Douying or Douyu. It’s better to prepare multiple options.”

“But this is…”

Sister Yǐjī hesitated, and I urged, “Sister Yǐjī, it’s already the 25th. Without these unconventional methods, can you really achieve your goal based on your current popularity growth rate?”

“…I see, then let’s do it your way.”

My words pushed her to make a decision. Such a bold operation was unlike my usual style, but to take down this online criminal organization, this was our only chance.

Lǐn Huā clapped and smiled, “Great! Don’t worry. I’ve refined Kǎi-Chan’s plan. I’ll be the overall commander for this mission, ensuring everything goes smoothly!”

Lǐn Huā had taken charge as the overall commander, though I had suggested the plan…

AJ brought a plastic stool and sat down.

“Since Miss Lǐnhuā has planned everything, let’s discuss what each of us will do.”

Hey, aren’t you going to ask me?

Lǐn Huā’s finger circled the rim of the teacup, then she looked at Sister Yǐjī.

“Can you handle the live stream independently, Sister Yǐjī?”

“I should be fine. Recently, I’ve been handling daytime streams alone, though it’s challenging to balance everything.”

“That’s great! AJ, you’ll follow us tomorrow. You’ll transmit the live footage to Sister Yǐjī. I and Cherry Sauce will meet the Scorpion Man and confront the Glorious Family. But we need more hands. It would be best to recruit some classmates who don’t have classes…”

“Wait a minute!”

I raised my hand and asked, “Cherry Sauce and I are meeting the Scorpion Man. What am I supposed to do tomorrow?”

“Hmm, Kǎi-Chan…”

I hadn’t expected my question to make Lǐn Huā hesitate. Did she think I wouldn’t be helpful?

I had suggested the plan!

“Kǎi-Chan, you’re our insurance. If they show any violent tendencies, please use the ‘Beautiful Girl’s Fist’ on them!”

…What is that?