Chapter Twenty-Five: You Can Swim?!

"So, just a vague promise was enough to trick you?"
"What he said wasn't wrong. Besides, when I was previously investigating the chief's case, I had also asked him to look into the matter—I owe him a favor."
"How interesting. I'd also like to meet this Chen Zi'ang and see if he really has a way to persuade me..."
"...Or rather, to save me?"
When Chen Zi'ang took a taxi back to the entrance of his workplace, it happened to be quitting time.
Upon returning to his office, he ran into Tsukinowa Reina coming to look for him:
"Senior, Watanabe Maho's cell phone has been tracked... By the way, where did you just go? Why are you coming back from outside?"
"Ahem, don't ask." Chen Zi'ang was burning with anger, so he told Tsukinowa Reina what had happened.
Tsukinowa Reina sneered inwardly, but her voice remained gentle as she said:
"Forget it, Senior. Perhaps our superior had some hidden difficulties."
Chen Zi'ang was taken aback, wondering why Reina had started speaking up for her. He asked in puzzlement:
"What hidden difficulties could she possibly have?"
"For instance," Tsukinowa Reina said with a smile, "she grew desperate for life because of a terminal illness, which is why her mouth is so foul, and the reason she abandoned you and left you to your own devices is because she had to undergo surgery at the hospital with a survival rate of only zero point one percent."
Chen Zi'ang: ...............
As expected of a sweet girl, her words were utterly ruthless.
Hearing Reina put it this way, the gloom in his heart dissipated quite a bit, so he suggested:
"Would you like to come to my place for dinner tonight? We can also watch the midterm election debate along the way."
"Sorry, Senior." Tsukinowa Reina pressed her hands together and managed a bitter smile. "Father is taking me to the venue."
"Oh, I almost forgot." Chen Zi'ang slapped his forehead.
The Shi family held profound prestige in Takamagahara, and the vast majority of councilors and civil servants had joined the National Elite Party. For newly risen island-clan aristocrats like the Tsukinowa family, the wife and daughter naturally could not be independents; they had long since stood on the same front line with the patriarch.
The midterm elections started tonight, and the partisan councilors were about to clash. Ordinary members could certainly skip it, but someone of the Tsukinowa family's caliber had to be there—of course, not to watch the debate, but to show support for the National Elite Party councilors. This was considered an old tradition.
"No worries," Chen Zi'ang said with a smile. "Perhaps I might even see you on television tonight."
"Perhaps," Tsukinowa Reina said distractedly.
After work, Chen Zi'ang bought food at the employee cafeteria and prepared to go home to watch the spectacle.
The debate was naturally not the kind of talk-show debate from his past life, but rather an official selection based on public voting of "the ten issues the public cares most about," followed by debates between councilors of the two factions regarding these topics.
Of course, the debate wasn't about winning, but about showcasing your viewpoints to the masses, thereby building face and impression in front of the voters to gain an advantage in the subsequent elections.
Theoretically, the debate should feature sharp verbal exchanges between both sides with distinct and uncompromising viewpoints, prompting the masses in front of their televisions to engage in profound contemplation of social issues.
In reality, because the historical advantage of the National Elite Party was too massive and their voter base was difficult to shake, the People's Vanguard Party could only rely on sensationalism to attract attention.
Therefore, during previous debates, the audience would cheerfully watch the "big talkers" of the People's Vanguard Party spout utter nonsense while the "lords" of the National Elite Party explained things with a straight face... Seriously, it was much better than a talk show. After all, the People's Vanguard Party truly had no taboos and dared to say anything.
Well, it seemed he still needed to buy some beer.
The debate would last until midnight, so ammunition had to be adequately stocked; neither the alcohol nor the drinking snacks could be missing.
He took the light rail to the nearest station and then strolled leisurely toward home.
The Gunma District was an old urban area, and most of the houses were two-story buildings. Compared to the Mikawa District, which was lined with apartment complexes, it lacked a bit of the mercenary nature of a modern metropolis and possessed a bit more of the peace and tranquility of a small county town.
Even the nearby yakuza syndicates only handled monopolized businesses like tobacco and alcohol, and would not engage in vicious armed clashes—sometimes, when they encountered delinquent youths extorting passersby, they would even go up and chase them away.
To get home as quickly as possible, Chen Zi'ang didn't choose the brightly lit main road, but tried to take shortcuts through the alleys. He was quite familiar with the terrain around here.
As a result, just as he was about to reach Tonegawa Road, he was suddenly blocked by two punk-looking youths.
The two of them didn't look very old, but they had dyed hair, cigarettes dangling from their mouths, and tattoos—every single one of them. They were clearly newcomers who had just entered the trade, trying hard to put on fierce expressions as they said:
"Hey! Old man, buddy is running a bit low on cash, lend us some money to buy some cigarettes!"
"Alright, alright." Chen Zi'ang put down his plastic bag and feigned reaching into his pocket for money, while actually intending to flash his holster to them.
Before he even had time to lift the hem of his jacket, a mysterious girl charged out from ahead.
She was wearing a thick peaked cap, sunglasses, and a face mask, making it impossible to discern any facial features at all. The moment she jumped out, she shouted:
"Stop right there!"
That voice was quite recognizable... Xia Zili?
Xia Zili's gaze passed through the two youths and landed on Chen Zi'ang opposite them, and she was immediately startled.
She knew Chen Zi'ang couldn't possibly be coerced by these two punks, but she was even more afraid of her "hero" identity being recognized by him. Therefore, she subconsciously stepped aside, intending to run away while saying:
"Haha, just kidding, you guys carry on..."
As it happened, right beside them was the diagonally descending river embankment of Tonegawa Road—the exact spot she had passed by with Tsukinowa Reina last time, where she had warned her not to roll down.
Tsukinowa Reina hadn't lost her footing back then, but Xia Zili unfortunately took a misstep this time, completely losing her balance and stumbling headfirst into the river channel.
Chen Zi'ang was startled. Ignoring the punks, he took three steps in two and dove down the river embankment, leaping into the Tonegawa River as well.
The ice-cold, biting river water battered his body, and Chen Zi'ang swam forward with all his might, trying to grab the arm of Xia Zili, who was still struggling.
He finally grabbed it...
And then he saw Xia Zili treading water, pulling him along as she swam toward the shore.
The two of them dragged themselves up the riverbank. Xia Zili stood panting with her waist bent, only to hear Chen Zi'ang shouting frantically beside her:
"You know how to swim?!"
"Sorry." Xia Zili took off her wet face mask and forcefully wiped the water from her face.
As for the sunglasses and peaked cap, they had long since drifted away to who knows where when she fell into the river.
Chen Zi'ang looked upward; those two punk youths had also run off—and the two plastic bags he had placed on the ground, the one containing the alcohol, were gone as well, clearly having been light-fingeredly stolen by those two fellows.
What terrible luck...
"Were your things taken by them?" Xia Zili asked apologetically. "I think I saw it when I was in the river just now."
"It's fine, just a few bottles of alcohol," Chen Zi'ang waved his hand and said. "Forget it."
If he had stopped them on the spot, that would be one thing, but now those two had run out of sight. Even if he used his connections at the Security Bureau to find them, leaving aside the huge hassle, all he would find would be a few empty wine bottles—it was only a few dozen bucks, not worth the trouble.
"Um," Xia Zili seemed a bit embarrassed. "It might be a bit presumptuous to say this, but could you go to a nearby store for me and buy a hat, sunglasses, and a face mask?"
"If I go buy them myself, I'll definitely be recognized by passersby, and Sister Norika will chew me out afterward..."
Chen Zi'ang narrowed his eyes, sizing up her disheveled state at the moment.
Indeed, without the cover of the hat, sunglasses, and face mask, this girl's golden hair, blue eyes, pointed ears, and exquisite features were practically exposed to the air, and the risk of being recognized was extremely high.
"My home is nearby," Chen Zi'ang suggested. "Why don't you come to my place to wash up and change first, so you don't catch a cold? I'll send a message to your manager so she can come pick you up as soon as possible?"
"Going to your place to wash and change is fine, but notifying Sister Norika is unnecessary, right?" Xia Zili gave a dry laugh.
"Sneaked out?" Chen Zi'ang raised an eyebrow and asked.
"I'm begging you." Xia Zili pressed her hands into fists in front of her chest, showing a pitiful, pleading expression. "Don't betray me like last time."
Chen Zi'ang: ...............
Girl, watch your phrasing. How can you call that "betrayal"? I was just notifying your guardian to come pick you up...
However, upon second thought, Xia Zili was an adult after all, and had the freedom to choose where to stay and what to do. Secretly telling her "parents" really was a bit inappropriate.
"Anyway, let's go back first." Chen Zi'ang rubbed his temples and said.
(End of this chapter)