A Core Ship From The Start Chapter 1216

Chapter 1216: Chapter 823 Idol? Chapter 1216: Chapter 823 Idol? “Although another victim had appeared, Duanmu Ai had no intention of helping at all. To be honest, as far as she was concerned, it would be better off for that person to just die — to have one's XP publicly executed in front of a large audience could only lead to a social death.”

“So you might as well hurry up and choose death yourself.”

“Being alive isn't of much use anyway.”

“And since the others have already set out on a rescue, so… let them go.”

“All I have to do is support them in spirit.”

“No, I can't even support them in spirit anymore.”

Of course, Duanmu Ai wasn't idle either. The Gang of Thieves recently didn't dare to cause trouble, and she was unwilling to get involved in this matter, so the next issue was investigation — why the television could become a portal to the Subspace.

Right, why the television? After that, Duanmu Ai tried many things, like glass, mirrors, computer screens, and so on. But none worked, only the television did, which was very strange.

Lumiaire didn't know either, but she came up with a thought — since it was possible to enter Subspace through a television, could it be related to the television station somehow? After all, the television station broadcasts signals, and televisions receive them. If there's something special about the station affecting this, then it might also affect televisions.

Well, I have to say Lumiaire's speculation is pretty solid.

Of course, television stations aren't places just anyone can enter, but for Duanmu Ai, that's not a problem. As a Demon Summoner, she naturally could find many commissions, and in fact, there was one commission that was quite suitable for her.

The commission was to provide round-the-clock personal protection for a certain idol artist. Choosing a Demon Summoner was for a simple reason — after all, Demon Summoners' strengths are evident, plus they have privileges. Idols might encounter troublesome situations, and if a Demon Summoner could use their privileges to smooth things over, that would be a good thing.

Because of this, the job's compensation was very high, not even a fixed amount but a five percent cut from the idol's earnings.

This was no small sum of money.

By all accounts, the conditions should be attractive, but in reality, not many had taken this job for one simple reason: high compensation means high requirements — not only did it demand a highly skilled Demon Summoner but specifically a female, and preferably a young one at that.

So everyone was stumped.

Clearly, that requirement wasn't easy to meet.

So when Duanmu Ai came asking for a commission related to the television station, the intermediary almost without hesitation handed her this one.

“A specific requirement for a female? And a young one at that?”

Looking at the commission in front of her, Duanmu Ai wore a look of disdain.

“What kind of nonsense is this?”

“Come on, give it a try. This commission has been hanging there with no takers, and it's a bit embarrassing for us. Besides, with your strength, Xiao Ai, the client is just an artist, nothing formidable. If they dare to harbor any ideas, just knock them back, and that's that.”

The intermediary's simplification was indeed simple. Demon Summoners held an aloof status — although their work resembled that of Mercenaries, in reality, high-Level Demon Summoners were practically at a level where they could disregard even local government officials, let alone a mere idol artist. Maybe the artist had tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of fans, but in the eyes of a Demon Summoner, they were just actors.

“Fine, I'll take a look, and hopefully, it's not any trouble.”

She accepted the commission, set a time, and then Duanmu Ai arrived at a cafe near the television station to meet with the client.

“Hello, I am NR's Mr. Inoue…”

The man who appeared in front of Duanmu Ai looked to be in his thirties, in a suit that screamed 'society person,' and wearing glasses. He nervously handed over his business card, and Duanmu Ai glanced at it.

“So, can you tell me what your commission is about?”

“Of course… but before that, could you please summon your Zhongmo? Sorry, I just want to confirm…”

“No problem.”

Duanmu Ai wasn't bothered by Mr. Inoue's request, and flicking her right hand, she produced the Demon Summoner, and in the next moment, Alice appeared at her side.

“This is… your Zhongmo?”

“That's right.”

“Is she strong?”

“Are you serious?”

Faced with Mr. Inoue's uneasy inquiry, Duanmu Ai snorted lightly.

“There's no Electronic Demon in this city that can rival her.”

“Uh… there's really no need for that level of…”

Hearing Duanmu Ai's response, Mr. Inoue's face took on a complicated expression, but he took a careful look at Duanmu Ai and then at Alice again.

“Mr. Duanmu… are you interested in entering the entertainment industry?”

“Not at all. I can't sing, can't dance, and I don't have an interest in it. Let's discuss the commission, shall we?”

“Oh, sorry… do you know Little Lishe?”

“I don't know her, I'm not interested in this stuff.”

Duanmu Ai shook her head; she had never been interested in idols or stars.

“Oh, I see… uh… actually, the job we're offering is pretty simple. We hope that you can serve as Little Lishe's assistant.”

“Assistant?”

Hearing this, Duanmu Ai frowned, and Mr. Inoue also hurried to explain.

Simply put, their company had recently launched an idol named Kujikawa Rise, who had shot to fame and was now considered a popular idol singer. Duanmu Ai seemed to have heard some girls in her class talk about something like this, but she truly had zero interest in these variety show gossips.

Of course, with fame comes troubles, and Little Lishe was no exception. Recently, she had encountered some problems, such as sudden equipment malfunctions during performances and feeling as if ghosts were knocking on her windows at night. This had taken a considerable toll on Kujikawa Rise's nerves. Although she was still trying hard, she became increasingly haggard day by day.

The company obviously couldn't ignore this, so after consulting with experts, they suspected that an Electronic Demon was to blame. After all, they always took good care of the equipment, and counted everything before going on stage. If there were still breakdowns, then the only explanation that defied scientific reasoning was the work of an Electronic Demon.

If that were the case, then increasing security wouldn't help, and they would need a Demon Summoner, someone who specializes in dealing with Electronic Demons.

But naturally, that wasn't an easy task.

An artist's life is always in the spotlight. It wouldn't be impossible to choose just any Demon Summoner, but that could lead to unwanted rumors. After all, if an artist was being targeted by an Electronic Demon, it could alarm the fans. Besides, if the Demon Summoner was male, there was also the possibility of romance rumors surfacing.

However, the problem was that it wouldn't do to hire an older Demon Summoner either. An idol's daily schedule is packed, and the older folks just don't have the energy for that.

Moreover, in terms of social status, Demon Summoners rank much higher than idol artists.

So, the company thought of reaching out through an intermediary, which led to that strange request for a young female with exceptional abilities.

In plain terms, they were hoping to find a Demon Summoner who met their requirements and preferably sign a long-term contract.

“Sounds complicated.”

Hearing this, Duanmu Ai lost interest. She just wanted an excuse to get into the TV station, not to become someone's nanny. Plus, it sounded like a constant hassle, which she had no intention of taking on.

“If that's the case, I'm out. I have school to attend and no time to play nanny all day.”

She had thought it was something that could be solved in a few days, but now they were considering a long-term arrangement? If she couldn't get into the TV station, she might as well sneak in.

“Please do consider it.”

Seeing Duanmu Ai about to leave, Mr. Inoue immediately stood up, looking nervous.

“The compensation is negotiable… no, I know it's not about the money, but it's really a critical time for Little Lishe. She's scared every day but is still pushing through with gritted teeth… But we know she's reached her limit. If she can't relax and rest, she might just collapse on stage. We've suggested taking a break for a while…”

“There's no way I'll be her nanny indefinitely.”

Duanmu Ai shook her head. Mr. Inoue thought for a moment, then a light seemed to go on in his eyes.

“Then, can we ask you to at least look after her until the end of the month? There's a major contest at the end of the month, and it's a critical moment for her idol career…”

“Fine, if it's only for ten days, I can ask for leave.”

After all, she was the principal and could easily write herself a leave slip.

Now that Duanmu Ai had agreed, the rest of the negotiations went much more smoothly. Ultimately, Duanmu Ai would appear as a trainee assistant alongside Kujikawa Rise, a fairly common arrangement. Especially for female idol artists, it's more convenient to be looked after by another woman of a similar age, and there's no worry about romance rumors.

Duanmu Ai also got ten days to investigate inside the TV station, which seemed like a good deal.

Without delay, after signing the contract, Duanmu Ai followed Mr. Inoue to the office.

The office decor was quite nice, and there were many staff members; it gave off the impression of being a legitimate business. Duanmu Ai had taken on some cases involving the entertainment industry before, and many shady offices were either located in remote areas or staffed with yakuza, nothing close to legitimate business.

But this one… seemed to be a proper business.

Entering the reception room and sitting down, Duanmu Ai poured herself a cup of tea and drank it without a care. Then, after a short while, there came a knock at the door.

“Mr. Inoue? It's Li Shi.”

“Oh, Little Lishe, come in.”

Duanmu Ai had to admit, the voice of this girl named Kujikawa Rise was very unique and pleasing to the ear, possessing a certain charm. She had heard some idols' strained voices before, but compared to those, the voice of Kujikawa Rise was just right… in a very interesting way.

At that moment, a girl with twin ponytails and glasses stepped through the door.

From her appearance, the Kujikawa Rise in front of Duanmu Ai looked like any cute girl you could find anywhere; she certainly didn't seem like a big star or a popular idol. Wearing an old-fashioned pair of glasses, she seemed a bit anxious. As she entered the room and caught sight of Duanmu Ai, she paused, then quickly bowed her head.

“Ah, hello, it's nice to meet you, I am Kujikawa Rise.”

“Hello, I'm Duanmu Ai…”

As the other party suddenly greeted her, Duanmu Ai had no choice but to put down her teacup and nod her head. For some reason, upon hearing her response, Kujikawa Rise seemed to show a hint of dissatisfaction, turned her head, and looked at Mr. Inoue.

“Mr. Inoue, is this the person you've chosen to partner with me for the concert?”

Chapter end

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