The next morning.
When He Xi Qian Yu walked down the stairs, the scene that greeted his eyes was completely different from the mess of last night.
The first floor of Anteiku had transformed into an efficient construction site, with the air filled with the scent of pine sawdust and fresh paint, completely overriding yesterday's bloody smell.
[...They're all Ghouls...]
He Xi Qian Yu's gaze subtly sharpened, and he nodded knowingly. He keenly noticed that these agile and well-coordinated workers were uniformly dressed in dark grey work clothes, each with a striking emblem embroidered on their right shoulder—a wild, ape-like head.
"Good morning, Qianyu Jun." Ru Jian Xuan's clear voice came from where she stood by the ruins of the bar, holding a checklist and directing the workers to clear the debris.
"Good morning, Ru Jian-jie." He Xi Qian Yu responded politely, his gaze sweeping across the busy site.
Ru Jian Xuan put down her checklist, a hint of a smile playing on her lips, and said teasingly, "Little Dong Xiang has already gone to school, you know. She looked much more energetic when she left." She paused deliberately, observing He Xi Qian Yu's reaction.
He Xi Qian Yu's steps faltered, and the corner of his eye twitched almost imperceptibly.
He hadn't asked anything...
"The Manager has been waiting for you for a while," Ru Jian Xuan said, her tone becoming serious, "He's outside the shop."
He Xi Qian Yu nodded, sidestepped a burly worker carrying a new door frame, and walked through the lingering dust towards the coffee shop entrance.
Fangcun Gongshan stood with his back to the door, intently watching the workers dismantle the damaged door frame. The morning sunlight fell on his grey hair, casting a gentle halo.
"Good morning, Qianyu Jun." Hearing footsteps, Fangcun Gongshan turned around, a gentle smile on his face as usual.
"Good morning, Manager."
"The repairs on the first floor will take some time," Fangcun Gongshan looked inside the shop, his voice calm, "The damage this time is considerable."
A hint of embarrassment flashed through He Xi Qian Yu's mind.
Looking back, the damage he himself had caused to subdue Gecko yesterday seemed no less than the other party's.
"Manager, they are..." He Xi Qian Yu proactively changed the subject, his gaze falling on the busy workers with the Demon Ape emblem.
"Ah, them..." Fangcun Gongshan was about to explain.
"They're Koma-nii's old subordinates," Koma Enji appeared from somewhere, holding a tape measure, a mix of pride and nostalgia in his smile, "The 'Demon Ape Group Re-employment Project Team,' how's that for a catchy name?" He clapped a burly worker with a scarred face beside him, who stumbled and chuckled good-naturedly.
"Boss!" a worker shouted from afar, "Could you take a look at this load-bearing pillar!"
"Coming, coming!" Koma Enji responded, grinning at He Xi Qian Yu and the Manager, "You two chat, I'm off to supervise." With that, he bustled inside.
...
Fangcun Gongshan watched Koma's busy back with a smile in his eyes. He turned to He Xi Qian Yu, his voice a little lower, his tone becoming serious: "Qianyu Jun, last night, it was thanks to you."
"It was my duty." He Xi Qian Yu shook his head, "I'm also a member of Anteiku."
Fangcun Gongshan nodded slightly, his gaze passing through the bustling street in front of them and looking into the distance: "Shikorae and I went to the 11th Ward yesterday. Bronze Tree's actions exceeded our expectations..." He paused, his voice filled with gravity, "They've almost annihilated the Ghoul Search Officer in the 11th Ward. It's almost completely fallen."
"CCG is sending more personnel to the 11th Ward. The war between humans and Ghouls might be imminent."
He withdrew his gaze, letting it fall back on He Xi Qian Yu, a gentle smile reappearing on his face: "Regardless, it really was thanks to you this time. While the coffee shop is being repaired," Fangcun Gongshan's tone held the care of an elder, "get some good rest."
...
Night fell, and the brilliant neon lights flowed over Tokyo's bustling crowds.
Habitually ignoring the strange look from the cashier girl, He Xi Qian Yu strolled out of the supermarket, carrying two large bags of chocolate.
[...Look over there...]
Slaughter's voice suddenly echoed in his mind without warning.
Almost simultaneously, He Xi Qian Yu's gaze was drawn to a huge electronic billboard nearby.
"CCG, in collaboration with the police, has formed a team of over a thousand, assembled and ready to raid the 11th Ward. The on-site command will be handled by Special Search Officer Marude Itsuki, who successfully dismantled a Ghoul organization's stronghold..."
On the screen, Marude Itsuki's stern face dominated the image, with armed CCG forces behind him.
"The safety of all citizens is guaranteed by our 99% sacrifice of lives. The remaining 1% requires everyone to work together. Let us join hands and reclaim peace in the 11th Ward..." His voice echoed through the bustling street.
He Xi Qian Yu understood. The Bronze Tree subjugation battle had begun, and Kukulia being attacked was only a matter of time.
[...What do we do?...]
Slaughter's consciousness fluctuated.
"Just wait." He Xi Qian Yu looked at the screen calmly.
He didn't intend to get involved in the Bronze Tree subjugation battle; it was unnecessary.
The so-called Bronze Tree subjugation battle was merely a bait intentionally set by Bronze Tree, aiming to induce CCG branches to reinforce the 11th Ward. Its true purpose was to exploit the weakened defenses and raid Kukulia.
He Xi Qian Yu knew that although Ayato hadn't directly agreed to him on the surface, given that kid's personality, after learning about Kirishima Arata's whereabouts, he would most likely initiate contact with him.
He just needed to wait patiently now, and then act with Ayato when the time came.
Moreover, due to his existence, Kaneki Ken was not captured by Gecko, and the people at the coffee shop did not get involved in the Bronze Tree subjugation battle. From CCG's perspective, they hadn't discovered that there were actually two 'One-Eyed Owls,' so the Antique subjugation battle naturally wouldn't happen.
He shouldn't have to worry about the coffee shop being raided by CCG.
A harsh car horn suddenly tore through the quiet. Just a split second before impact, He Xi Qian Yu's body sprang to the right like a taut bowstring, narrowly grazing the speeding car as it passed.
[...Watch your step...]
Slaughter's voice was low, reminding him, "...If you get hit...it'll be troublesome..."
"Thanks." He Xi Qian Yu composed himself and said softly.
[...You're welcome...]
Slaughter responded, "...I also don't want...the chocolate to be ruined..."
...
Ignoring the latter half of Slaughter's sentence, He Xi Qian Yu quickly put the small incident behind him.
In any case, paid leave was always pleasant.