Chapter 74
The Mysterious Mask
the next evening
Full of energy, Hyuga Gen didn't want to waste the whole day on such things; it was too decadent. No one spends their day like that.
We need to reflect on this.
With that thought in mind, Hyuga Gen put on his clothes and went to the living room, where he happened to run into the butler who was about to leave.
Seeing that the sun had already set, Hyuga Gen asked with some confusion:
"Butler, where are you going? Isn't it a bit late to go to headquarters at this hour?"
The butler frowned slightly, puzzled, when he saw that Hyuga Gen had come out after only a day and a night.
Is the young master not feeling well? It seems I need to find some tonics for him. For a succubus to be so weak in such a short time is a disgrace to the Alaria family.
If Hyuga Gen knew what the butler was thinking, he would probably have to go back to his room to prove that he still had plenty of energy, but he didn't know that.
The butler didn't intend to reveal his true thoughts and hurt the young master's pride, but instead replied:
"A business partner invited me to an underground auction. Since I have nothing else to do, I might as well go and take a look. Would you like to come along, young master?"
Upon hearing that it was an underground auction, Hyuga Gen immediately perked up. He had never been to a place like this before. Auctions were places that appeared in most novels. He wondered what good things were inside that he could find at a bargain.
Thinking of this, Hyuga Gen immediately said happily:
"Go, I'll call Rinko and the others down right now. Butler, please wait for me a moment."
After saying that, Hinata Gen immediately ran back to the room and brought down Akiyama Rinko, who was already as good as ever, and the very tired Rena.
To be fair, when it comes to endurance, even the Exorcists can't compare.
By the time the group arrived at their destination, it was already completely dark. After handing over their phones, they were led inside by a waiter.
The first thing you enter is a long passage. After following the signs for a while, Hyuga Gen saw two familiar figures ahead.
Upon seeing this, Hyuga Gen immediately ran over and greeted him with a smile.
"Uncle Suzuki! Aunt Tomoko! You're here too! Where are Sonoko and Ayako-neechan?"
Tomoko Suzuki, who was walking ahead of Shiro Suzuki, felt a pang of panic upon hearing Gen Hyuga's shout. She glanced guiltily at Shiro beside her before saying:
"Sonoko seems to have gotten involved in a troublesome murder case and is giving a statement there. But don't worry, it has nothing to do with her. As for Ayako, that girl has never liked these kinds of activities, so she didn't come."
Upon hearing that Sonoko was involved in a murder case, Gen Hinata immediately thought of Conan, that plague god who brings death wherever he goes.
Thankfully, no murders occurred on the Elizabeth that day, otherwise I might have been caught up in it myself.
Is the sharp drop in Japanese housing prices related to Conan? He keeps creating haunted houses, making people afraid to buy them. When a haunted house is mentioned, the entire neighborhood's prices drop as a result.
This has led the Hyuga Group to consider streamlining its real estate business; if things continue like this, it's really unsustainable—who can stand losing money every day?
Upon hearing Hyuga Gen's voice, Suzuki Shiro turned around in surprise, completely unaware that Suzuki Tomoko's expression was somewhat off.
"Yuan, Mr. Griffith, you two have come too."
After saying that, Shiro Suzuki strode over to the butler, shook his hand, and said with a beaming smile:
"Mr. Griffith, it's been a long time. I've missed you dearly."
The butler also managed a smile and started chatting with him.
Hyuga Gen greeted Suzuki Shiro and then went to Suzuki Tomoko's side.
Suzuki Tomoko was startled and tripped, almost falling to the ground.
Hyuga Gen reacted quickly and helped her up, asking worriedly:
"Auntie Tomoko, are you alright?"
On the other side, Suzuki Shiro, who was chatting with the butler, turned around after hearing the commotion and saw Hyuga Gen supporting Suzuki Tomoko, saying something with a worried expression.
Suzuki Shiro, looking puzzled and unsure of what had happened, asked:
"Tomoko, what happened?"
After hearing this, Tomoko Suzuki shook her head to indicate that she was fine.
"It's nothing, I just twisted my ankle and almost fell, but luckily Yuan caught me in time, otherwise I was afraid I would have fallen."
After understanding the whole story, Suzuki Shiro said with gratitude on his face:
"Thank you so much, Yuan. It's all thanks to you being there for Pengzi. Otherwise, a fall at her age could have been very serious."
(Those who have read this far should no longer empathize with the victim, right? It's all due to the influence of the succubus bloodline, yes, that should be it.)
"Uncle Suzuki, you're too kind. It's all I should do."
Hinata Gen smiled somewhat embarrassedly, wondering if he could say that Suzuki Tomoko had fallen because of him.
However, Tomoko Suzuki was immediately displeased upon hearing this and said somewhat angrily:
"What do you mean I'm this old? Explain yourself clearly, and I won't be angry."
Seeing Suzuki Tomoko's anger, Suzuki Shiro, realizing he had said the wrong thing, gave an awkward smile and didn't dare to refute anything, but simply changed the subject:
"Tomoko, you and Gen go in first. I'll talk to Mr. Griffith for a bit before going in."
"snort!"
Suzuki Tomoko didn't want Suzuki Shiro to lose face in this situation, so she snorted and led Hyuga Gen and the others inside.
As for the waiter who had led them in, he turned back along the long road, and they no longer needed him to guide them on the rest of the way.
After Suzuki Shiro saw Suzuki Tomoko leave, he breathed a sigh of relief and said somewhat awkwardly to the butler, who had a half-smile on his face:
"Mr. Griffith, please excuse my poor appearance."
After following Suzuki Tomoko around a corner, Hinata Gen completely relaxed.
As for Rinko Akiyama and Rena, who were standing to the side, they were completely ignored by Tomoko Suzuki.
He recognized one of the two men as Hyuga Gen's bodyguard, and although he didn't recognize the other, he didn't seem like the type to talk nonsense.
Then, with a helpless expression, he said to Hyuga Gen:
"Yuan, can't you be a little more mindful of the occasion? What if someone sees us?"
"Don't worry, I have a way."
Hinata Gen naturally wouldn't allow such a risk to occur. After rummaging through his pocket, he took out a mask, which was the magical item "Mysterious Mask" that the butler had given him before he arrived.
It allows the wearer to transform into any appearance, even changing clothes at will, without fear of being recognized by others.
Moreover, once worn, one can completely conceal their magic power, appearing exactly like a normal person. Only those powerful individuals at the level of a quasi-demon king or above could possibly detect the deception.
This is also one of the most precious magical items in the butler's possession.
If the butler knew that the mysterious mask he gave to Hyuga Gen was being used for thrills, I wonder if the butler would be pleased, or pleased, or pleased?