"Suzuki-kun, Mouri-kun, this is a bento I made myself. Please accept it."
The next day, at noon.
Baishi Hui came to Class 2-B and handed Ran and Sonoko each a bento he had personally prepared, as a token of his sincerity.
Since he had to make a bento for himself anyway, he simply made extra.
Whether they liked eating it or not was their problem.
The thought was what counted.
"Wow!! A bento made personally by Shirashi-kun? Thank you!!" Sonoko delightedly accepted the bento, then glanced back at Shinichi, saying with a triumphant look, "See, I told you Shirashi-kun wouldn't just take the money and run!"
Shinichi scratched his head, looking at Baishi Hui with a strange expression, muttering to himself, "Did I really misjudge him?"
"How can I accept this?" Ran felt she hadn't done anything and didn't deserve it!
"If it weren't for your forgiveness, I'd probably be in a detention center right now." Baishi Hui pushed the bento into Ran's hand, telling her not to be polite.
"Thank you... Shirashi-kun, why don't you eat bento with us!" Ran accepted it and extended a warm invitation.
"Mm." Baishi Hui nodded. Actually, even if Ran hadn't said so, he would have done the same to build a good relationship with them.
After pulling over a chair and sitting down, he said to Sonoko, "Suzuki-kun, I might not need that money anymore. After school, I'll go home and return it to you."
"Huh? Why?" Sonoko was surprised.
"The loan shark was burned down by someone." Baishi Hui's lips curved upward, not hiding his smile in the slightest.
"Ah!" Shinichi remembered something upon hearing this and said, "I saw the breaking news last night... It was that office called Niu Niu Finance, right?"
"Yes." Baishi Hui nodded and said, "When I went there, a huge fire had already started!"
"There were fire trucks that wanted to go, but they were all stopped by people."
"I saw several people who had gone to borrow money with me!"
Ran had no sympathy for the loan sharks, saying, "This is what happens when you do too many bad deeds!"
Sonoko also nodded in agreement, saying, "It seems even heaven couldn't stand it, which is why a fire broke out there!"
"This was no accident!" Shinichi opened his bento and said, "I saw the follow-up news. Two charred bodies were found inside the house. Based on the bullet holes in their bones, it can be inferred they were shot dead with rifles!"
"What's so strange about that? Don't gangsters fight and kill all the time?" Sonoko didn't find this strange at all. After opening Baishi Hui's bento, she exclaimed in admiration.
"That's true. Gangsters are very dangerous; we should stay far away from them!" Ran also agreed with Sonoko. After opening her bento, she voluntarily took some out to share with everyone.
"This time, it shouldn't be a gang vendetta. Because witnesses saw a guy wearing a strange mask walk out of the office." Shinichi stroked his chin, habitually deducing, "I estimate it's probably a debtor who couldn't pay back the money and finally chose to take a desperate risk!"
"The culprit should be among those who borrowed from the loan shark!"
"Since they chose to take a desperate risk, the amount owed must have been relatively large."
"The weapon used was a rifle, so this guy is most likely involved with gangs."
"..."
Shinichi unconsciously immersed himself in his deductions.
However, Ran and Sonoko completely ignored him, turning instead to lavish praise on Baishi Hui's cooking skills.
Baishi Hui smiled at this, not taking it seriously.
Japanese girls are best at providing emotional value. Even if these things tasted like crap, they would politely praise them.
He claimed it was just home cooking.
Whether they truly liked it or not, he would know by whether they politely moved their chopsticks a few times or ate most of it.
To Baishi Hui's surprise, they actually finished all of their bento.
Not only that, Ran and Sonoko even proactively washed the bento boxes clean before returning them to Baishi Hui.
Seeing their quality, Baishi Hui felt ashamed of himself.
After finishing lunch, he agreed with Sonoko to go home and get the money after school, then returned to his own classroom, Class 2-D.
While resting, he opened the Thug System.
[Current Mission: Accumulate 100 million Japanese Yen in ill-gotten gains. Current Progress: 173 million Japanese Yen.]
[Mission Completed, received Genetic Enhancement Fluid.]
[Genetic Enhancement Fluid: Can enhance one's advantageous genes and optimize disadvantageous genes.]
[Thug Mall has opened!]
[New mission has been issued.]
[Mission: Accumulate 1 billion Japanese Yen in ill-gotten gains. Current Progress: 0.]
Baishi Hui had already used the Genetic Enhancement Fluid after returning home yesterday. It was sweet and sour, quite tasty.
He looked up what advantageous and disadvantageous genes were.
Genes that make a person taller, more handsome, more enduring, or smarter are all advantageous genes.
Disadvantageous genes naturally refer to those like baldness, large noses, or susceptibility to illness.
It was a comprehensive optimization for himself, a pretty good reward.
As for the Thug Mall, it sold various firearms.
[Handgun: Price 50,000 Japanese Yen, type optional, comes with five magazines.]
[Automatic Rifle: Price 100,000 Japanese Yen, type optional, comes with five magazines.]
[Sniper Rifle: Price 200,000 Japanese Yen, type optional, comes with five magazines.]
[Grenade: Price 50,000 Japanese Yen, type optional.]
[...]
Low prices, optional types, and freebies!
It was clear at a glance that the system was practically begging him to cause trouble.
Baishi Hui admitted that he was very tempted at that moment, wishing he could start a shopping spree.
But he still restrained himself!
Being Azu the Bandit has no future. Like a rat crossing the street, everyone wants to beat it.
Which Azu the Bandit has a good ending?
Besides, what good is being strong?
If they come at you with Osprey helicopters, you'd still die, wouldn't you?
Azu once said, "You're good at fighting, but what good is fighting? When you're out here, you need influence, you need a background!"
Being Azu the Bandit is impossible; it's impossible in this lifetime.
Being a Detective is the right path!
Baishi Hui stopped looking at firearms and turned to other items.
[Basic Combat Knowledge: Price 100,000 Japanese Yen, can be advanced for double the price after purchase.]
[Basic Shooting Knowledge: Price 100,000 Japanese Yen, can be advanced for double the price after purchase.]
[Basic Bomb Knowledge: Price 100,000 Japanese Yen, can be advanced for double the price after purchase.]
[...]
Cheap! Too cheap!
There are four levels of knowledge: Basic, Proficient, Expert, and Master.
The total cost to go from Basic to Master for one skill is 1.5 million Japanese Yen.
This is practically no different from being given away for free!
To make himself a professional Azu the Bandit, this system really sold everything at a huge discount.
It's completely unlike other systems that restrict the host's purchases in various ways; instead, it strongly encourages the host to spend.
Baishi Hui, with tears in his eyes, directly bought all the skills he thought were useful.
Besides the 100 million Japanese Yen in ill-gotten gains returned to Sonoko, he reserved 5 million Japanese Yen as emergency funds.
Baishi Hui glanced at his densely packed system panel.
He felt dazed. He had only been transmigrated for less than a day, and he had already maximized his attributes.