Jiang Yang truly didn't care about what happened next. It was just as he'd said before: everyone makes their own luck. Only time would tell what path Kitatarō and Yuka would ultimately take.
After leaving, Jiang Yang began to wander aimlessly. So far, he hadn't truly entered the main storyline of this world, so he didn't have much to do.
He was inclined to find Cǎo Jiā and Shā Yě first, but he didn't have the ability to. While he could ask Mari for help, Jiang Yang hadn't found a good excuse yet.
The main issue was trust.
Having played several galgames, Jiang Yang knew that trust was important. If there was no trust between people, the more you said, the more counterproductive it would be.
He was just wandering, focusing on doing whatever he pleased. He didn't bother remembering the way; wherever he ended up was fine, as he'd have to ask for directions to get home anyway.
He might as well treat it as traveling in another world. He had been in this world for several days and hadn't properly experienced the charm of the era yet.
It would be even better if he encountered a few Orphnochs. He could recharge sooner and, if he ran into any insurmountable danger, he could use that to teleport away. Running might be shameful, but it was useful.
He didn't encounter any Orphnochs that afternoon. However, he did stumble upon a street fight involving delinquent teenagers.
Because he was bored, Jiang Yang found a good spot to sit and watch. Scenes full of youthful energy like this were rare, at least, he hadn't seen many.
Although he wasn't exactly a model child growing up, he had never been involved in gang fights. It wasn't that he aspired to it; he just happened to encounter it, and he was very bored at the moment. That was all.
He had to admit, these people were fighting with lethal intent. Jiang Yang felt pain just watching the ones getting beaten.
With this kind of fighting, it was hard not to have fatalities.
Fortunately, the police arrived shortly after the fight started. The ringleaders were taken away, and the others scattered. Jiang Yang left with satisfaction. Why did the police arrive so quickly? Because Jiang Yang had called them.
With brawls like this, should he stop them himself instead of calling the police? That would be much more than just a few people getting knocked down.
It wasn't bragging to say that with his current combat power, he wouldn't even need to move to deal with this group of middle schoolers. Transformed into Ixa, he could let them punch and kick him without taking any damage.
Only he could justify using a cheat to beat ordinary people so righteously.
Perhaps it was luck, but Jiang Yang wandered around all afternoon without encountering anything suspicious. Forget Orphnochs; there wasn't even a single pickpocket. Besides that brawl, nothing interesting happened.
"Life without a phone to play with is really boring. Heavens, give me something interesting."
He shouted this in Chinese, and only then did Jiang Yang feel a little more relaxed. Although he could speak Japanese without any problems, he really wanted to speak Chinese.
"Got it, objective updated. Next, find a Chinese person."
The next task was to find a fellow countryman to chat with.
This shouldn't be difficult. A casual inquiry on the street could reveal the direction of Chinatown, or he might even find Chinese residences and shops nearby.
For example, a martial arts school run by a Chinese person.
Hearing the word "martial arts school," Jiang Yang's eyes lit up. A martial arts school was great. Perhaps he could learn something there. His current combat prowess relied entirely on overwhelming stats.
While there's a saying that one force can break all tricks, in the world of Tokusatsu, stats have their limits. Relying too much on stats would eventually lead to defeat by beings with higher stats.
Moreover, the Tokusatsu world isn't just about stats; it also involves mechanics and special effects.
"It's time to improve myself."
He excitedly arrived in front of the martial arts school, only to find them taking down the sign. Out of curiosity, Jiang Yang went forward to inquire.
A kind passerby explained the situation.
The owner of the Chen Family Martial Arts School was of Chinese descent. He met his wife, Měihuìzi, while studying in Japan over a decade ago, and they fell in love. Later, Master Chen returned home to inherit his family's martial arts school. For love, he opened his school here and stayed.
Master Chen was a truly skilled man. Despite his frail appearance, he could easily defeat three to five strong men. Over the years, he had taught many disciples, and many people sought him out from China to become his apprentices.
His reputation in the neighborhood was quite good.
Unfortunately, Master Chen had disappeared more than half a year ago. Since then, the martial arts school's condition had deteriorated daily. No one had stepped up to lead the school, and the disciples had mostly dispersed.
Then, Měizhìzi stepped forward.
Měizhìzi was Master Chen's daughter.
The passerby didn't know the specifics, only that she had made an agreement with a few people from the school: to recruit a supremely talented disciple within a month, and then have that disciple defeat them three months later.
If successful, they would acknowledge Měizhìzi's status as the successor.
It was something like that.
After the head of the main family disappeared, the disciples wanted to seize the martial arts school, and the rightful heir appeared to turn the tide.
Wait, if that's the case, wouldn't taking down the sign today mean she had already lost?
Upon inquiring, Jiang Yang learned that Měizhìzi and her mother, Měihuìzi, had also disappeared three days ago. Furthermore, it was rumored that near their disappearance locations, strange ashes were found, just like when Master Chen disappeared.
Because the legal heir had died and no one was there to inherit the business, the shop was taken over by a personal disciple of the martial arts school. It was said that from now on, it would no longer be called the Chen Family Martial Arts School but the Extraordinary Martial Arts School.
Jiang Yang caught the key phrase: strange ashes. Ashes. It seemed this was no ordinary case.
Normally, he might not get involved, but since this matter involved his compatriots in this world, he couldn't stand idly by. Moreover, he was someone who quite enjoyed meddling in other people's affairs.
If you asked him, "Didn't you hate trouble the most?"
Jiang Yang would tell you that the two weren't mutually exclusive.
Just as Jiang Yang was about to enter, the door opened.
Jiang Yang saw someone he didn't expect.
"Kaidou?"
The person looked up at Jiang Yang, his eyes filled with unfamiliarity. He seemed to be thinking.
"Ah, the coffee shop waiter!"
Jiang Yang's expression turned grim. That way of remembering things... well, it wasn't entirely wrong.
"I'm Jiang Yang. I'm glad to see you're alright."
"Whoa, whoa, don't use that tone. We're not that close."
"Before that, Kaidou, why are you here?"
Jiang Yang's tone made Kaidou feel very strange, as if this person had known him for a long time and understood him well.
"You... you seem to know something. You, wait..."
Kaidou twitched his nose.
"I smell ramen, and it smells great. Have you eaten yet?"
"Not yet."
"Perfect, neither have I. Let's talk while we eat. Of course, you're paying."
Jiang Yang's mouth twitched. Didn't he just say they weren't that close? Well, since it had come to this, eating first was the priority.
"Lead the way. I happen to have some questions for you."