The next day, sunny, suitable for an outing.
Tokyo, Akihabara, bustling with noise.
Lin Wan received a call from Hong Liang, who had already taken an early flight and left.
Also, Haneda Masahiro was dead, along with a hitman, and the entire Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department was in chaos.
Amid this turmoil, the natural deaths of Matsushima River and a certain financial manager from a sudden brain haemorrhage were overlooked, lost in the sea without making a ripple.
As for the subsequent internal strife in the Matsushima family and the sorting out of the hitman organisation, those were matters for much later, but Haneda Masahiro’s case was considered closed.
So, Lu Zheng and Lin Wan could continue their shopping.
Akihabara, the famous anime street, a spiritual home for otaku, Lu Zheng had heard of it for a long time and finally got to experience it today.
Comics, DVDs, figurines, toys, gaming consoles, and all sorts of merchandise…
Arcades, maid cafes, cosplay clothing stores…
Though it still fell short of their imagination, Lu Zheng and Lin Wan were already delighted.
No hesitation, buy, buy, buy!
Lin Wan bought lots of accessories, figurines, stickers, and plush dolls.
Lu Zheng bought plenty of toys, DVDs, and comics.
Neon Genesis Evangelion… Sailor Moon… Dragon Ball… Slam Dunk… Mobile Suit Gundam… Saint Seiya… Naruto… Doraemon… Code Geass… Detective Conan…
They found an international courier service point and sent everything back home in one go.
Then they continued shopping.
“What’s that?” Lu Zheng couldn’t help but exclaim.
The two wandered into a relatively secluded shop, and Lu Zheng felt like he had discovered a new world.
Why did the covers of these game discs look so familiar?
“Bible Black – La noche de walpurgis -”
“Sexy Beach Zero”
“Artificial Girl”
And various anime DVDs and comics with red crosses on the covers.
Lu Zheng felt his eyes weren’t enough to take it all in, this place was simply…
Paradise!
Lin Wan gritted her teeth and tried to pull Lu Zheng away, but he wouldn’t budge.
“Tell me, if I buy these DVDs and comics, can I bring them back to China?” Lu Zheng looked at Lin Wan expectantly.
“Dream on, customs will confiscate them all!” Lin Wan said irritably.
Lu Zheng: /(ㄒoㄒ)/
“Can’t I just enjoy them myself?”
Lin Wan said firmly, “No way!”
“Fine.” Lu Zheng could only nod helplessly, then picked up another piece of clothing, “This Tifa outfit, I can buy this to take back, right? Come on, try it on to see if it fits.”
Lin Wan: (▼ヘ▼#)
No choice, seeing Lu Zheng disappointed over not being able to buy the games and comics, Lin Wan softened and went along with him, buying a huge pile of what seemed to be cosplay outfits.
Tifa… 2B… Rei Ayanami… Boa Hancock… Artoria… Mai Shiranui…
“If we buy any more, the wardrobe at home won’t fit!” Lin Wan gritted her teeth, chest heaving, wishing she could bite Lu Zheng if no one else was around.
Lu Zheng waved his hand, “You’re overthinking it, the wardrobe at home is plenty big!”
Lin Wan, “…”
Right, Lu Zheng had bought a large flat with a dedicated dressing room, the space inside was truly vast.
You didn’t plan this in advance, did you!?
Under the shopkeeper’s envious, surprised, and delighted gaze, Lu Zheng bought three huge bags of clothes and had them mailed directly, finally satisfied.
After shopping all morning, the two had their fill, took a breather, then went to another shop, each changing into cosplay outfits to continue strolling.
So, the streets gained a Tifa and a Cloud, hand in hand, leisurely shopping and looking for a restaurant.
“Should we find a maid cafe or an anime-themed restaurant?” Lu Zheng asked.
“What do you think?” Lin Wan shot him a sidelong glance.
“I think a regular restaurant will do,” Lu Zheng said seriously.
Then they found a highly rated maid cafe online and experienced Japan’s unique service.
The service was indeed warm and attentive, but neither Lu Zheng nor Lin Wan were hardcore otaku, so they didn’t get many of the references, especially since the maids spoke Japanese.
Still, they had the experience, and Lin Wan happily took photos with the maids, adding to her collection.
This way, they had more material for their nine-grid social media posts that evening.
“Lu-san! Miss Lin!”
As the two stepped out of the restaurant, they heard a voice from the side.
Turning around, they saw a group coming out of a nearby restaurant.
“Miss Matsuno, Yama…” Lu Zheng blinked, pausing as he seemed to have forgotten the other man’s name.
“Yamada Hikoichi,” Yamada Hikoichi said with a twitch of his cheek, reminding him.
“Mr. Yamada,” Lu Zheng nodded in greeting.
“Are Lu-san and Miss Lin here in Japan for a holiday?” Matsuno Yoko smiled.
“Yes,” Lu Zheng nodded.
“I didn’t expect Lu-san and Miss Lin to be anime fans,” Matsuno Yoko laughed.
Lin Wan felt a bit embarrassed.
She thought no one would recognise them, so she indulged Lu Zheng, but they unexpectedly ran into a Japanese magician they knew.
Still…
Lin Wan pursed her lips, they weren’t close anyway, so who cares if they saw?
Then she relaxed, Tifa’s outfit perfectly showed off her figure and long legs, so she didn’t mind at all.
Matsuno Yoko and Yamada Hikoichi were accompanied by a host, a cameraman, and a few staff members, all wearing Tokyo TV badges.
“Are you filming a show?” Lu Zheng raised an eyebrow, “Then…”
“Yes!” Matsuno Yoko smiled, “A street magic variety show, would Lu-san like to appear on it? With your skills, the audience would surely love it.”
“No thanks!” Lu Zheng waved his hand, completely uninterested.
Matsuno Yoko laughed, “Alright, but since Lu-san and Miss Lin are in Japan, we must show our hospitality. We’ll treat you both to dinner tonight, please don’t refuse!”
Lu Zheng was about to decline, but Lin Wan agreed, “Alright, thank you.”
Lu Zheng looked at Lin Wan, who nodded to indicate it was fine.
So Matsuno Yoko stepped forward to exchange WeChat contacts with both of them, and Yamada Hikoichi joined in the fun.
“You use WeChat too?” Lu Zheng was quite surprised.
Yamada Hikoichi replied, “We sometimes perform in China and have Chinese friends, so we use WeChat too.”
“Got it,” Lu Zheng nodded, understanding that to expand in China, using Chinese social platforms was essential.
…
Matsuno Yoko’s group started their camera, and the host and two magicians continued their street magic variety show.
Lu Zheng and Lin Wan, arm in arm, followed a few steps behind to watch the spectacle.
