Chapter 132 : Jiang Lai - Control, Complete Control
Little Sheep Jiang Lai was internally certain that his method had a high success rate. After all, no gaming enthusiast could resist the temptation of game characters appearing in reality.
To prove it wasn't a photo-editing effect, Little Sheep Jiang Lai specifically chose that composition for photography, with contact, shadows, physical presence, and the special marking display after cursed tool camera photography. This could clearly show that everything in the photo was real.
As Jiang Lai guessed, Zenin Naoya on the other side only symbolically showed suspicion and reserve for a few sentences, then eagerly began asking questions about these "elves" in rapid succession.
[#Next Head Is Me#: The cursed tool camera marking shows... you bastard, you're also from the jujutsu world? That such an annoying personality could survive until now is truly a miracle.]
Zenin Naoya's daily speech was always this kind of habitual harsh language, though essentially without much attack power.
Little Sheep Jiang Lai chuckled and tapped out a reply.
[#Little Sheep Never Loses Meh#: Oh well, can't help it meh, I'm just that strong. And not only am I living well, I even had suckers come deliver money before, right my good teammate meh? (Cat street dance.jpg)]
This was sarcastically referring to when Zenin Naoya had previously spent a huge amount for Little Sheep Jiang Lai to answer any question, only to end up talking to AI for a week.
Zenin Naoya on the other side felt stifled again. His usually cold and sharp tongue was always deflected back by that sheep's perfunctory brainwashing replies and interrupting sarcasm.
Making people either punch cotton or have their punch bounce back.
Zenin Naoya wanted to block the other party again, but his eyes glanced at that gorgeous photo and couldn't look away.
No, he couldn't just exit like this. He had to first dig out why the other party would encounter these elves in reality.
He thought. Since the other party was also from the jujutsu world, could this be some kind of jujutsu? Like illusion techniques or construction techniques, virtually projecting or constructing three-dimensional elves.
Something like large life-sized figures?
Although three-dimensional projections were dead objects, close contact sounded pretty good too.
[#Next Head Is Me#: Fine, I have to admit, your construction technique practice is decent. Being able to train such a mediocre technique into this flashy but impractical display is quite a skill.]
Still that style showing thorns between the lines.
[#Little Sheep Never Loses Meh#: Construction technique? Wrong guess meh. I'm not a construction technique user, but a summoning-type player~ These are all my cursed spirit shikigami.]
The words "cursed spirit shikigami" seemed to flash like highlights before his eyes, and Zenin Naoya instinctively froze.
Shikigami so similar to game elves?? How was that possible...
Actually, he typed this question out too.
The other side quickly replied, as always full of that mischievous and cunning style.
[#Little Sheep Never Loses Meh#: Hmm... how is it not possible? Shikigami looking like elves does sound somewhat incredible, but thinking differently, why can't it be that my shikigami were originally the elves from the game?]
Seeing Little Sheep Jiang Lai's reply, Zenin Naoya's mind flashed big "this isn't real" while instinctively and shamefully being moved.
He couldn't help remembering the text at the beginning of [Me and Elves and New Routes]:
[If you believe, they exist.]
When he first encountered this game, Zenin Naoya had ignored or even scoffed at this sentence, casually complaining internally about this child-deceiving phrase.
At that time, Zenin Naoya hadn't truly fallen in love with this game yet, merely downloading a currently popular mobile game out of boredom in his confined life.
But now, Zenin Naoya had become a loyal player of this game. Recalling these words again, his inner emotions weren't rejection and mockery, but some kind of surging anticipation and waiting.
Probably that kind of situation where it might seem childish to elementary school students, but was just right for adults.
Zenin Naoya gripped his phone tightly, not immediately replying to that money-grubbing sheep for quite a while. After an unknown amount of time, he finally exhaled and typed:
[#Next Head Is Me#: If what you're saying is true, it does sound somewhat interesting. But I need to witness it personally to believe you're telling the truth. After all, you're really untrustworthy.]
Zenin Naoya didn't openly reveal his inner itch, still maintaining some arrogant reserve.
Little Sheep Jiang Lai didn't mind Zenin Naoya's way of speaking. Through this response on the page, he had already seen Naoya's hidden excitement and signs of taking the bait.
Jiang Lai: Yeah, plan successful! I knew no loyal player could resist game becoming reality!
However, Little Sheep Jiang Lai didn't immediately reveal his true purpose of wanting to go to the Zenin family. That would be too obvious, and even gaming addict Naoya might become suspicious.
The other party was addicted to gaming, but not stupid enough to miss obvious ulterior motives.
Therefore, he had to gradually and casually guide the track to his desired path.
Jiang Lai was skilled at this. Having experienced the red-black struggle in the Detective Conan world, he had rich experience in persuasion techniques and had prepared well before this conversation.
So he followed this game activity, using his usual little money-grubber personality, and sent a message to Zenin Naoya.
[#Little Sheep Never Loses Meh#: Meeting is naturally possible meh, but I should charge some service fees, right?
Not much, not much. Here's the price list. Dear customer, you can choose the package service you want meh~ Considering we're teammates, I can give you a 98% discount~
Oh right, special note: if you want to use elf photos for the game activity, the price gets multiplied by two meh.]
Then he sent an image with a detailed price list: photo appreciation, close observation, close contact, and various other interactions all had corresponding prices.
Besides that, there was a line of small text below.
[PS: Transportation fees, accommodation fees, assistant fees, mental damage compensation, and other various fees calculated separately~]
Seeing that image, Zenin Naoya felt blood rushing to his head again. His hands holding the phone trembled uncontrollably as he screamed internally.
Such a complete price list, this was prepared to scam him from the start!!
Zenin Naoya took a deep breath, planning to calmly pick out this customer-fleecing trap.
But immediately after, several more photos of real-life elves appeared in the chat box, immediately capturing his attention.
Unable to resist the feeling of being moved!
Game characters appearing before his eyes, no one could resist this temptation.
Glancing at elf pictures, glancing at the price list, Zenin Naoya closed his eyes and gritted his teeth.
Fine, this time he was voluntarily being slaughtered!!
But he had to meet offline. If that bastard dared to trick him, he would definitely make the other party pay!
Zenin Naoya's fox eyes curved upward, his delicate face showing some sharpness.
He had never been a good-tempered guy, just that before they were separated by internet cables so he couldn't teach that money-grubbing sheep a lesson.
If there was an opportunity, he would naturally grab the other party without mercy for a sheep-shearing revenge.
Thinking this way, he could almost see the scene of teaching the other party a lesson. Zenin Naoya curled his cold lips into a smile, his mood inexplicably improving greatly.
So he replied: [You bastard really are obsessed with money... But this time I agree. If you can satisfy me, paying you isn't impossible.]
[#Little Sheep Never Loses Meh#: So you want to meet offline meh?]
[#Next Head Is Me#: Naturally, only offline can I see through whether you're lying or telling the truth.]
[#Little Sheep Never Loses Meh#: Then when exactly shall we meet meh? And where's the meeting address? Let me say first, the price list states that transportation, accommodation, assistant fees and such need reimbursement meh.]
Zenin Naoya actually didn't understand what "assistant fees" meant, but since he was already paying the big money, he naturally didn't care about these details, just instinctively asking:
[What are assistant fees?]
[#Little Sheep Never Loses Meh#: It means I need to bring some helpers~ Then helpers naturally need payment too meh. Otherwise without helpers, how can we take good pictures meh?]
Zenin Naoya twitched his mouth, his attention still on that price list image from earlier.
Seeing Little Sheep Jiang Lai's response, he just thought that money-grubbing sheep was trying to make more money, so he didn't think further in other directions.
At this moment, Zenin Naoya had no interest in continuing to elaborate on this, so he simply and clearly stated the appointment time and place.
[#Next Head Is Me#: We'll meet this week, come find me the day after tomorrow. The meeting address is naturally where I am.]
Zenin Naoya couldn't leave the closed Zenin family, but he certainly wouldn't reveal this constraint. Instead, he indicated with superiority that he didn't want to move, so he was having the other party come find him.
[#Little Sheep Never Loses Meh#: That works meh, I'll come see you the day after tomorrow meh. Give me an address?]
[#Next Head Is Me#: Address as follows. I'll inform the guards in advance. When you come, the guards will naturally bring you to see me.]
Zenin Naoya lightly tapped his finger, sending his location. He specifically noted the Zenin family name when sharing the location.
Zenin Naoya was naturally doing this on purpose. As one of the Big Three Families, his status was also something to lord over others.
Most ordinary jujutsu sorcerers in the jujutsu world showed awe and fear when seeing the Big Three Families' names.
That money-grubbing sheep who was always showing off probably never imagined his teammate was from the Big Three Families, and someone with apparently high status at that.
Sure enough, after the address and that message were sent, the other side didn't reply for quite a while.
Zenin Naoya's narrow eyes curved into a certain arc, feeling smug: Idiot, scared by me, right?
He crossed his hands together, somewhat carelessly thinking about clothing and posture for the meeting day, preparing to continue overwhelming the other party so he could give some arrogant lessons during this rare offline encounter.
Imagining his usually mischievous and troublesome teammate someday bowing his head submissively to him, the scene felt very refreshing.
Zenin Naoya was already looking forward to the day after tomorrow, not just for those elves.
Meanwhile, on the other side.
Actually, seeing the address and message Zenin Naoya sent, Jiang Lai's lips couldn't help curving upward.
He hadn't expected everything to go so smoothly. He thought he'd need several rounds of back-and-forth before gaining entry rights to the Zenin family.
It seemed Zenin Naoya wasn't guarding against him, simply thinking he was coming to earn small money.
Jiang Lai turned his head, holding up his phone to the three-person group of Fushiguro, Itadori, and Kugisaki beside him, saying cheerfully:
"See, I told you I had him completely under control, right? The plan is going perfectly!"