"You already have the answer in your heart, don't you?" Chi Feichi asked calmly. He paused, then offered an explanation, "Our families are old acquaintances, and you've looked after me in the past. If there is anything I can do to help, I'd be happy to."
Morizono Kikuhito fell silent again. He drove the car near block 2-22, parked, and finally gritted his teeth, his voice low. "The rumors outside are true. The person I trusted most has betrayed me!"
He really is easy to fool. Confessing just like that...
Chi Feichi sighed internally. Although there was a gap in their status and Morizono Kikuhito's reasoning was sound—Chi Feichi indeed had no need to plot against the Morizono family—in terms of cunning and experience, Kikuhito was far inferior to the "old foxes" Chi Feichi remembered meeting alongside his cheap father.
"Is it the butler, Shigematsu? He seems to be helping you handle company affairs."
"Yes," Morizono Kikuhito's expression turned dark. "He's blackmailing me. He wants me to cancel tomorrow's wedding, or else he'll tell my father about that matter. He's been a butler in my house for years; he practically watched my sister and me grow up. I never expected him to..."
"Wait, the person I'm meeting is coming out. I'll deal with my business quickly," Chi Feichi interrupted in a low voice, opening the door to get out. "We'll talk more when we get back."
Morizono Kikuhito suppressed his urge to vent, nodded, and looked out the window. He saw a little girl in a red jacket walking out of the gate and was instantly left speechless.
Yes, it was indeed a girl, but she was far too young. She was nothing like the 'girl' he had imagined Chi Feichi meeting...
After Chi Feichi brought Haibara Ai into the car, he gave Morizono Kikuhito the address of the breeding facility. He then took a vial of blood from his pocket and handed it from the passenger seat to Haibara in the back.
"Ai, can you find someone to help me analyze this? See what species of crow this blood belongs to and if there's anything strange about it. Regardless of the results, remember to keep it confidential."
Considering Morizono Kikuhito was currently sensitive and paranoid, Chi Feichi waited until he was in the car and right in front of him to hand the item to Haibara, to prevent any misunderstandings.
Haibara Ai saw the unprecedented seriousness in Chi Feichi's expression. She glanced at Morizono Kikuhito in the driver's seat and nodded. "I understand."
"Is that crow's blood?" Morizono Kikuhito asked casually. "Is it from the flock that fought with Feichi and Rebecca?"
"No," Chi Feichi denied. "I picked up a stray crow. I want to know its species and if it carries any diseases. Having an inspection report makes it easier to apply for a pet certificate."
"Feichi got into a fight?" Haibara Ai asked.
"Yeah, that's why I didn't bring him out today," Chi Feichi said. "But don't worry, it's nothing serious..."
"He was just wrapped up in gauze until he looked like a white snake," Morizono Kikuhito chimed in with a chuckle. The chatterbox nature he had suppressed earlier due to his bad mood resurfaced at the thought. "When I went home this morning, both he and my cat looked miserable. My garden was wrecked, too. Gave me quite a scare! By the way, I'm Feichi's cousin, Morizono Kikuhito. He's staying at my place right now. You can call me Kikuhito-niichan, you cute little lady."
Haibara Ai's expression turned strange for a second. No matter how she looked at it, this guy spoke like a playboy. She retorted in a cool voice, "You're nothing like him."
"You and he are quite alike, actually," Morizono Kikuhito didn't mind Haibara's attitude. "Feichi, could it be that Uncle Shinnosuke has a secret daughter he kept from us? No, that's not right. He and Auntie Kana couldn't possibly produce a child with blue eyes. Could it be that he..."
"No," Chi Feichi interrupted. Seeing that Morizono Kikuhito wanted to continue, he calmly reminded him, "My father is coming back soon. If you have any theories, you can go ask him for verification."
Morizono Kikuhito quickly wiped the smile off his face and coughed lightly. "I was just joking..."
Haibara Ai realized she rarely heard Chi Feichi talk about his father. Seeing Morizono cower so quickly, she grew curious. "Is your father coming back?"
"Yes," Chi Feichi said. "Maybe tonight, or tomorrow at the latest."
Haibara Ai paused, then asked, "Is he a very fierce person?"
"No," Morizono Kikuhito felt that if he let these two continue talking, the air temperature would drop to freezing. He took over the conversation. "He's about the same as Feichi. A calm and serious man. I've never heard him yell at anyone, but in front of him, you just can't help but feel nervous."
Haibara Ai leaned forward to look at Chi Feichi in the passenger seat. She mentally conjured up an image of an 'Enhanced Version of Chi Feichi' and understood immediately. She turned back to speak to Morizono Kikuhito. "He takes after his father? He doesn't look like his mother?"
Chi Feichi turned his head to look at Haibara Ai. "..."
They were supposed to be the same type of people who preferred concise communication. was Haibara Ai suddenly planning to defect to the chatterbox side?
Haibara Ai looked up at Chi Feichi. "..."
Why did she get the feeling she was being despised?
Only Morizono Kikuhito remained oblivious, continuing to pontificate. "His personality is inherited from his father, but his looks lean more towards his mother. You've seen his eyes, right? Let me tell you a secret, Auntie Kana is a great beauty..."
Beika Town, Breeding Facility.
In a corner, there was a spacious, comfortable stall paved with bedding.
Inside, a large bamboo rat saw Chi Feichi and hurriedly nudged his companion. "Stop eating, wait a second, that human is here again!"
The other small bamboo rat continued gnawing on a piece of bamboo. "So what if he's here? What does that have to do with me eating?"
"Every time he comes, the bamboo rats he takes away never return," the large bamboo rat said with a solemn tone. "I have a bad feeling. Just like that pot of meat we secretly saw back in our hometown... they might already be dead!"
The small bamboo rat shuddered, looked up at the large rat, and hesitated. "Didn't he say... he wasn't allowed to eat the two of us? That we had to be raised well?"
The large bamboo rat spoke with a tone of frustration at his companion's naivety. "He only said others couldn't eat us. Maybe he wants to fatten us up to eat us himself. We cannot let our guard down!"
The small bamboo rat stopped chewing. "Then... then what do we do?"
"We absolutely cannot be chosen by him!" the large bamboo rat declared firmly.
"But, the first time he came, he said, 'These two look fat, I'll take these two.' The second time he came, he said, 'These two aren't spirited, they aren't eating,' and then he took those away," the small bamboo rat said, confused. "So, should we eat or not eat? Should we get fat or not get fat?"
"This..." The large bamboo rat's train of thought stalled. It looked left and right, then lowered its voice. "Let's listen to what he says before deciding. Shh, he's looking over here."
Chi Feichi glanced at them and withdrew his gaze. These two comedic bamboo rats certainly had a strong will to survive...
Haibara Ai had already retrieved a cage from the staff and looked up at Chi Feichi.
"Pick whichever ones you want," Chi Feichi said.
"Some of them don't seem very energetic," Haibara Ai looked around, hesitating. "Can I pick a few more?"
Chi Feichi also noticed that more than half of the bamboo rats looked sickly. "It's probably just issues with acclimatization. If you want them, take them all."
"Is that okay?" Haibara Ai felt a bit embarrassed.
"It's fine. They don't look like they'll survive much longer anyway," Chi Feichi said. "I'll arrange for someone to deliver them to you by truck."
To the side, the small bamboo rat whispered weakly, "Brother, this time he said it's acclimatization issues..."
"Eat!" The large bamboo rat grabbed a piece of bamboo and started gnawing furiously. "Eat quickly! Act energetic! We must let him know we are very well adapted!"
The small bamboo rat immediately followed suit, its beady eyes glancing fearfully sideways. "Brother, he's looking at us again..."
Chi Feichi was speechless. Ideally, he would have taken the two bamboo rats away just to stop them from being so neurotic. But creatures that need feeding every day are a hassle. Since there was someone here to help raise them, he decided to leave them be...
Haibara Ai watched as the staff loaded the bamboo rats one by one. Even the large cage she was holding earlier was put to use. In an instant, more than half of the bamboo rats were cleared out.
Small Bamboo Rat: "Brother, this little girl seems even more savage..."
Large Bamboo Rat: "Shh, she must be the legendary Great Demon King!"
Chi Feichi looked down at Haibara Ai and took out his phone.
Click.
Haibara Ai froze for a moment, looking up at Chi Feichi. "Why are you taking my picture again?"
"Wait a moment..." Chi Feichi began simply editing the image.
Haibara Ai immediately remembered the 'Super Fierce' incident and turned her head away. "I'm not looking!"
" really not looking?" Chi Feichi asked.
Haibara Ai was at a loss for words. She did want to know how Chi Feichi was spoofing her photo this time. "I'll look..."
Chi Feichi lowered the phone.
The photo captured Haibara Ai and a portion of the bamboo rats waiting to be loaded onto the truck.
Having been moved, the bamboo rats were frightened and huddled together in every cage. Haibara Ai, meanwhile, was looking at them with a calm, indifferent expression.
A caption had been added above the heads of the huddling rats: [Shivering under the Great Demon King's gaze]
Haibara Ai was silent for a moment, then suddenly reached out to snatch the phone in front of her.
However, Chi Feichi was a step ahead. He quickly lifted the phone and pocketed it.
Haibara Ai stared at Chi Feichi with resentment, her mind rapidly calculating the probability of 'winning a fight against Chi Feichi' and 'successfully snatching the phone' in various scenarios.
"I'm keeping it as a souvenir." Chi Feichi gently patted Haibara Ai's head.
Haibara Ai instantly deflated. Suddenly, she felt that letting Chi Feichi keep a souvenir wasn't so bad. She withdrew her gaze and looked down at the ground to the side. "You are not allowed to circulate it."
"Okay."
Chi Feichi agreed, then spoke to the staff member, giving them the address he had received when contacting Koizumi Akako that morning, instructing them to send two bamboo rats there.
After Chi Feichi and the others left, the large bamboo rat finally stopped its frantic gnawing. It nudged its companion. "Alright, alright, stop eating. If he comes back next time and picks the fat ones, we'll be in trouble if we get too heavy. Control your weight. We won't be the fattest, and we won't be the thinnest..."
"Brother, you really are smart," the small bamboo rat said, raising a question. "But, what if next time he chooses the ones that aren't fat and aren't thin?"
The large bamboo rat couldn't resist bonking the small rat with a piece of bamboo. It then sighed and fell silent.
Life as a bamboo rat was just too hard...