Chapter 239 Harmonious Interlude
In the most prosperous commercial district of the Magic City, the headquarters of "Abyss Times" is located in the middle of an old ancient building. Although the furnishings here are not as official and magnificent as the headquarters of "Modu Daily", "Abyss Times" has a large number of die-hard readers in the city because of its vicious news style and unique insider revelations, and its sales volume is no worse than the former.
This is especially true for this issue of the newspaper.
With the release of the latest sales data, the entire editorial department is excited!
Not only did they set the highest sales record in the history of newspapers in the past 10 years, but they also surpassed the "Modu Daily" in the same period! In order to satisfy readers' thirst for news, the printing company they cooperated with even printed it twice on the same day!
According to complaints from printing workers, in order to fulfill these unexpected orders, the magic ink used to print magic photos in the factory almost ran out!
This is simply a miracle!
What is even more unbelievable is that it all happened because of a striking headline——
"The Demon King angrily criticized the bureaucrats for being cowardly and incompetent, claiming to seek justice for the 80,000 fallen soldiers!"
In the lower right corner of the headline page, a line of small words read - "From this newspaper: According to an anonymous revelation by a parliamentary staff member..."
This "anonymous revealer" is none other than an inconspicuous nightmare in the Parliament Building - Karisman.
According to the editorial board of "Abyss Times", this dream demon was originally just an ordinary clerical assistant in the parliament, responsible for sorting documents and transporting reports, and his daily work was mediocre.
His presence is so low that colleagues occasionally forget his name.
· However, it is such an inconspicuous little person that caused the sales volume of the latest issue of "Abyss Times" to achieve an incredible miracle.
And according to the field investigation of the sales department, those surged sales data are mainly contributed from the leftover areas of the Magic City!
·People there usually would not spend money to buy newspapers, but now they contribute generously to the "Abyss Times". If we can win the favor of these people, it will undoubtedly be a huge "incremental market" for "Abyss Times"!
It’s more than that!
It is said that for a whole day, the streets and alleys of the slums of the Demon City were discussing the "shocking" actions of the Demon King. The veterans in the tavern toasted to his name, and the young guys were also telling the legendary story of the "Demon King who spoke for the front line" from word to mouth, and were even proud of having worked part-time in Black Wind Castle!
As a reporter with an extremely keen sense of news and a succubus who is good at playing with people's hearts, Aisabel, who works in the editorial department of "Abyss Times", quickly noticed the public opinion flowing in the streets and alleys.
Although public opinion has never been important in the Magic City, or it is only important when the senior officials think it is valuable, this does not prevent the "Abyss Times" from being able to make gold from the information that people like to hear!
In the office of the editor-in-chief of "Abyss Times", the atmosphere was particularly warm.
"So!" Aisabel put her hands on the table, her heart-shaped pupils sparkling, "Since the Demon King is so newsworthy, why don't we interview him directly?!" Sitting opposite her was Lulu, a translucent slime who was the senior editor of "Abyss Times".
As a slime, she has been working in the newspaper office for ten years and is known for her calmness, rationality and poisonous tongue.
At this moment, her slime body shook slightly and made a "gurgling" sound, as if trying to digest Aisabel's crazy proposal.
After a few seconds, she raised her "eyebrows" formed by gel, showing an expression of "Are you serious?"
…You mean, you want to interview the Demon King of Thunder County?”
"That's right!" Aisabel nodded confidently, "We need first-hand information! Imagine the cover title of this issue - "Screaming for the frontline soldiers! Interview with the ruler of Thunder County!" I bet the sales will hit another record!"
Luru took a deep breath, put down the quill in his hand, and looked at Aisabel with a look that looked retarded: "Girl , were you strangled by your own tail while you were sleeping last night? Who do you think you are? Is that the Demon King, a truly powerful guy, who will make time for your interview? "
"I heard that he is a human, and a man." Aisabel smiled with the confidence of a succubus, "As long as you use the right methods, there is no interviewee you can't get."
Lulu stared at her.
"Don't give me this trick, that kind of character is not a small character that can make you dizzy with just one look."
"Then just wait and see." Aisabel shrugged, "I can definitely handle it!"
Lulu looked at her teasingly, as if she had seen the joke.
"Okay, since you are so confident, let's take a gamble. If you can really interview the Demon King, I will ask the newspaper to open an exclusive column for you, and give you a private office, plus a dedicated assistant."
Aisabel's eyes lit up: "Oh? Are you serious?"
"Of course." Lulu said slowly, "But if you fail-"
She paused, and a smirk appeared at the corner of her mouth: "Your bonus and performance this year are gone, and... you have to be responsible for the sanitation of the editorial department's public office area for a whole year."
Aisabel's smile froze instantly: "... Are you joking?"
"I'm serious." Lulu spread her sticky hands, "If you don't dare, just give up this stupid idea."
Aisabel hesitated for two seconds.
But soon, fighting spirit rekindled in her eyes.
She is the ace reporter of "Abyss Times". If she can't deal with a mere human being, then what kind of reporter is she? What kind of succubus is she?
"Deal."
She raised the corners of her mouth, licked her fangs gently, and stretched out her hand to shake Luru's hand.
The slime's sticky hand and the succubus's delicate hand are clasped together, and this bet on dignity is officially established.
Lulu shook her transparent body leisurely and looked at Aisabel with schadenfreude: "I'm waiting to see how embarrassing you are. Maybe you can write an interview for yourself."
Aisabel shook her golden hair and made a face.
"Prepare an office for me, I want the newly renovated one. Also, my assistant should be a handsome vampire, or a human, but don't assign me a slime that is neither human nor ghost... Of course, I am not offending you."
Lulu shrugged and added slowly.
"No problem, you can make your own dreams. But if I were you, I would go to the alchemy store to order a magic broom first. At least it will make you a little more relaxed and save you the work of sweeping the floor."
If it really succeeds, it wouldn't hurt to open a separate character column in "Abyss Times". As the Demon King of Lei Ming County and a rising political star in the city, he must have enough publicity to make the new column famous instantly.
It's not a loss if you fail, it's also great to save the sanitation expenses in the office. Slime's workstation is always difficult to clean.
"..." Aisabel's cheek twitched, but it was only for a moment.
Soon she raised a confident smile, picked up her interview book, and walked out of the office.
"Wish me good luck, Luru."
"I wish you good luck. In addition, you can seriously consider my suggestion. This is for your own good." The slime editor behind her calmly flipped through the documents and replied casually, not thinking that she could succeed at all.
After all, he was the Demon King of Thunder County.
According to unreliable rumors, even the succubus among succubi, the young lady of the Padridge family, was defeated by him.
She has no doubt that this guy has no chance...
… …
On the streets paved with obsidian, the amethyst dome casts a soft light, the crowds are bustling, various shops are dazzling, and the air is filled with the smell of perfume, baked snacks, and various magic products.
This street is one of the most prosperous business districts in Shanghai.
Luo Yan has lived in the Magic City for several years, but this is the first time he has set foot here.
As for the reason, it is naturally because of poverty.
Of course, his material desires are not very high, so he doesn’t think there is any problem.
In this world with poor technology, luxury will only complicate simple things in some inexplicable places. As for personal desires, the magical thing itself of magic is enough for him to play with with interest for a long time. And after becoming the Demon King, he would not be bored by scheming with other demons and humans.
As for why the respected Demon King appears on this street that is incompatible with his temperament at this moment...
Then you have to ask Miss Vivian, who is jumping and walking next to you humming a little tune.
"So...Dear Miss Vivian, where are we going now?"
Looking around at the lively street scene on the roadside, Luo Yan looked at the little girl beside him with some helplessness.
Vivian was holding a cup of hell sundae in her hand and was licking the bright red strawberry jam in small sips. She was completely immersed in the brightly colored delicious food, with a happy look on her face.
"Of course I'm going to see Nan Fu." She took the time to say something perfunctory, "Didn't I say that my brother admires you very much and wants to meet you... Will you satisfy his small wish?"
Luo Yan glanced at her noncommittally.
「But we have been shopping in the commercial street for an hour.」
"Huh?" Vivian tilted her head pretending to be confused, but there was a hint of subtle cunning at the corner of her mouth, "Does this have any conflict with meeting Nan Fu?"
Luo Yan sighed.
But he didn't dare to look directly at Luo Yan, and looked away from the shop window on the street, "But, now that he's out, we can't see him empty-handed, right? Buying some gifts... is reasonable, right?"
It is indeed quite reasonable.
Luo Yan glanced at the dessert in her hand.
…Okay.”
Just treat it like this.
Hearing the voice of compromise, Vivian's face unconsciously turned up with a smile of success, and the shiny tiger teeth hung at the corners of her mouth, as if a great revenge had been avenged.
Vivian has always been resentful about the fact that a certain sneaky vixen did not invite her to the birthday party and secretly dragged her brother to dance. Now she finally got her money back with profit.
What about dancing?
Even if we were close, it would only be a few minutes. In contrast, she was able to dominate Luo Yan for an entire afternoon. No matter how she thought about it, she won!
With such thoughts, Vivian was in a good mood, and her desire for shopping also increased.
I saw her walking leisurely on the streets, visiting almost all the famous clothing stores and jewelry stores. She didn't buy any gifts from Nanfu, but she added a lot of decorations to her body.
It’s more than that.
This guy even acted at the beginning, using some lame excuses such as "Nan Fu likes to use girls' things" or "He's always like this", but later he stopped acting at all. Not only did he get into the fitting room, but he also asked questions after coming out.
"How about this one?", "Does this skirt suit me?", "Would white be too weird for me? Sure enough, it's still black... Well, blue seems good too."
Luo Yan could still manage a few words at first, but then he simply gave up and leaned on the counter, watching her try on various skirts with great interest.
Finally, Luo Yan couldn't help but complain when he saw Miss Vivian walking out of the fitting room, putting on a strapless dress and shyly holding the hem of her skirt.
"You, what do you know, this is social etiquette... Co, the tradition of the Principality of Colin! If I dress too casually, my brother... will be unhappy..."
"I don't know whether your brother is happy or not."
Luo Yan glanced at the pile of clothes next to him and added calmly.
"But the store owner must be very happy now."
As expected, the clerk witch standing aside smiled like a blooming mandala flower, tidying up Vivian's clothes diligently, and occasionally offering a few rainbow farts and assists.
The latest and newest little stories are published for the first time!
"That's right, sir, my hometown is the Principality of Colin, and there is indeed such a tradition there. Miss, your temperament perfectly matches this dress, just like a noble princess of the night."
..." Vivian pursed her lips and was too reserved to answer, but her eyebrows flying to the sky fully exposed her good mood.
Luo Yan looked at the smiling shop assistant wordlessly and rolled his eyes silently.
I believe you are a ghost!
If your hometown is really from the Principality of Colin, would you recognize this little ancestor in front of you?
But as an elegant demon king, he naturally has no need to argue with a shop assistant, let alone expose Vivian's little thoughts.
There have been a lot of troubles lately.
Just think of it as relaxing.
"Giggle..." Youyou's uncontrollable laughter came from the side, and she looked at Luo Yan with a gloating look on her face, her expression seemed to say, "You have this day too."
It seems that this guy is really idle.
Luo Yan glanced at the air next to him and whispered.
"Have you given the order regarding the drawings?"
Yuyou coughed slightly and puffed out her chest and said.
"Don't worry, Lord Demon King, don't you know your players well? Give them enough time, they can even grind out the Gundam for you! Just wait and see the final result!"
It's not that the Gundam is so redundant, he just wants to install a track and engine for the magic crystal cannon.
After understanding the progress of the project, Luo Yan settled down and continued to spend this leisurely and torturous time.
After about half an hour, Vivian finally chose a light blue dress with silver trim. She stood in front of the mirror and looked left and right, smiling with satisfaction.
She turned to look at Luo Yan, gently lifted her purple hair, and asked casually.
If she had to rate it herself, this would probably be the one she was most satisfied with.
Luo Yan took a look, touched his chin and thought, and seriously gave a pertinent comment.
"It looks pretty."
Speaking of it, this outfit is quite similar to the one Irene wore when she saw him off.
In addition to the different hair colors and different IQs, the two have many similarities in other aspects.
Luo Yan couldn't tell where the similarities were before, but now he suddenly understood.
They are like two mirrors, one reflects the Principality of Colin, and the other reflects the Principality of Campbell... They respectively reflect the mental status of people in two different worlds.
Seeing the admiration in Luo Yan's eyes, Vivian's lips curled up, and she felt a sweet secret of joy in her heart.
But soon, she seemed to think of something again, and coughed covertly.
"This...this is also for..."
"For my brother." Looking at Vivian who stuttered for a long time, Luo Yan joked and filled in for her.
Facing those eyes that seemed to be smiling but not smiling, a blush gradually climbed up Vivian's cheeks.
The calm smile collapsed from her face. She pinched the hem of her skirt nervously, bit her lips, her eyes wandered, and it took her a long time to force herself out to tell a strong lie.
"Yes..."
As soon as Luo Yan finished speaking, before Luo Yan could say anything, she couldn't help but tremble slightly.
What a tragedy!
She was so proud for a moment that she accidentally got carried away and forgot the excuse she made up at the beginning!
No matter how slow she was, she could still understand the eyes that looked like a smile but not a smile.
His shoulders trembled slightly, and Vivian lowered her head unconsciously. Like a child who had made a mistake, she secretly released her index finger from holding the hem of her skirt, and secretly stirred it up behind her back.
Her heart was filled with anxiety, fear, nervousness, and a trace of...expectation?
However, she didn't know that her lame lie had been seen through long ago, but Luo Yan didn't want to argue with her.
Looking at the slowly raised right hand, Vivian whispered "Yeah" and closed her eyes nervously.
However, just when she was ready to be punished, the expected scolding never came. Instead, a warm hand fell on the top of her head and rubbed it gently, as if caressing a passing cat.
"You...if you want someone to go shopping with you, just say no? You still have to use your brother as a cover."
Luo Yan couldn't hold it back after all, and raised the corners of her mouth slightly, exposing the lie that made her clench her toes in shame.
vivian was stunned for a moment and raised her head in confusion, as if she did not expect that the punishment she had been waiting for so tremblingly would be so gentle.
Her thin lips opened slightly, but then closed quietly. Crystal mist instantly filled the eyes, and tears shone like morning dew about to drop.
"Really, really?!"
Her little fists were clenched, and her face was filled with unconcealable joy and expectation.
"I...can I invite you...together?"
Her tone was cautious, as if she was afraid that this happiness would be shattered in the next second.
Looking at her humble and eager expression, Luo Yan's heart couldn't help but tremble slightly, and a trace of self-blame surged in his heart.
"Of course..."
However, just when he was about to nod in agreement, the letters that came like snowflakes from the transmission room appeared in his mind.
Since he promised Vivian that she could write to him when she was bored, the little girl's letters could be piled up into a book.
Before he finished speaking, Luo Yan immediately added: "...provided that I happen to be in Shanghai and have nothing else to do."
"Hmm!"
"Then...I'll just say it next time. I can wait until you are not busy, hehe...hehehe..."
Luo Yan couldn't help but be a little more vigilant when he saw her immersed in beautiful fantasies, and cautiously added: "...Let me confirm first, what I said was just going shopping, buying things with you, etc."
Whether she heard it or not, he had to emphasize it clearly.
"Well! Let's go shopping! Oh oh oh! Let's go!" Vivian nodded happily, grabbed her brother's arm with a playful smile, and walked out the door happily.
Looking at the pile of clothes on the counter that was about to be thrown away, the clerk's eyes turned green, and she hurriedly stepped forward to stop the two of them.
"This...ma'am, sir, do you still want these clothes?"
"Pack them up for me and send them to...Demon City High School of Demons, Vivian signed." Luo Yan took out a bank card, casually swiped the magic stone in the hands of the clerk and paid.
The financial system of Magic City is unexpectedly more developed than Thunder City, but this is also related to the violent inflation in hell.
When the day comes when Archduke Edward Campbell starts issuing bank notes, it will take just a matter of minutes to make payment by credit card. The magic principle is not very complicated, and it cannot even be called an invention.
Vivian hugged his arm with a sweet look on her face, completely immersed in the atmosphere she imagined.
The two walked out of the store together.
However, at this moment, Luo Yan suddenly became keenly aware that a prying gaze quietly fell on him, and he hurriedly ran away the moment before making eye contact with him.
His eyes flashed slightly, and he thought to himself, could he be from the Dragon family?
Probably not.
The two sides are still at the stage of friction with each other, and have not yet reached the final stage of friction.
Luo Yan was about to ask Youyou to help him find out what was going on, but a pretentious voice suddenly came from the side -
"Hahaha! Luo Yan, the Demon King of Thunder County, the Baron of Black Wind Castle!"
"I didn't expect you to be such a person!"