Feast of villains

Chapter 74 74. Sadness and joy are not connected

In the warm and fragrant room, Tokisaki was applying makeup in front of the mirror.

Hands, feet, neck, and ears had been carefully perfumed and powdered, just as required for going to a ball.She wore see-through stockings and white leather shoes with bows on her legs, and her hairstyle was almost done.

On the big bed next to him, a young woman was chattering, with a brisk and lively tone.

"... I've been so busy since morning, I'm almost hungry, I can't get used to the food in Shin-Yokohama for a while, and I can only rely on fruit to sustain my life. The old lady in charge even told me to eat less You really want to starve me to death, hey Tokisaki, why didn't Nance come with you..."

Wearing only a cool skirt, Du Jingwen leaned lazily on the bed, her fair and pink shoulders, bare feet and wrists were all exposed.While talking to Tokisaki, she was holding a large bunch of grapes and gnawing on them.

Gnawing and gnawing, a group of maids poured in outside the door, dragging her out of the bed without any explanation.

An aunt in charge came in and told the maids to comb the lady's hair quickly.

"I'll do it myself!"

"No, miss."

"Oh, my God, come on, that's all."

"It's going to be dark soon, miss, please be quiet..."

Du Jingwen was being tortured here, while Tokisaki had already had her hair done and all her outfits put on by the maid.

"Are you ready?"

A middle-aged male voice asked outside.

"Hurry up, it'll be ready soon." Du Jingwen put on a tulle skirt with the help of the maid, and shouted towards the door, "Dad, don't come in so fast..."

After a while, after his daughter hurriedly put on her gown, the head of the Du family was allowed to come in.

His name is Du Xiuxian, and he is wearing a blue tuxedo, long socks and leather shoes.

Perfumed, hair smoothed with pomade.

Mrs. Du, who accompanied him in, was wearing a velvet dress, walking slowly and gracefully.

"Hey, my beauty!" Du Xiuxian yelled loudly, walking towards his daughter, "You are more beautiful than all of us..." As he said, he wanted to hug her, but his daughter laughed and stepped aside to avoid being caught Father rumples his dress.

"Hi Miss Tokisaki." Mrs. Du greeted Tokisaki gently.

"Hello Madam, Mr. Du." Tokizaki replied obediently.

Du Xiuxian looked at her and said with a smile: "Well...Miss Envoy of the monastery, it is my honor to meet you. Please have a good time tonight, oh yes, and your boss, remember when the time comes Introduce me to…”

"Sure!" Tokisaki smiled faintly.

"By the way, I'll go to the monastery tomorrow." Mrs. Du cordially held Tokisaki's wrist, "I haven't seen Leina since she left the imperial capital, I miss her..."

During the conversation, the four left the room and walked towards the front yard of the mansion.

In the damp and cold air, Du Jingwen inadvertently mentioned that if Juxue was bigger, the atmosphere would be more romantic.

The staff in charge of preparing for the dance heard this and immediately arranged for preparations, just to make the guests have a more pleasant experience.

"Bang bang bang!"

175 snow bombs were launched into the air, making the snow in Shin-Yokohama even bigger.

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Night fell gradually.

The refrigerated truck drove back to the urban area in the snowstorm.

There are some raised snowdrifts on both sides of the road, with some dried flowers or incense sticks inserted on them.

Many people braved the wind and snow to worship.

"It looks like a snowdrift, but it's actually a graveyard..." Clegg drove the car, his eyes flicked on both sides of the road, "What you say on TV will not increase the price of food, but in fact, after the snow falls , The price of rice and pork has more than tripled... 1 kg of rice was only 15 pence in autumn, and now it is almost 40 pence.

Nance silently calculated.

The monthly income of an ordinary employee in Shin-Yokohama is 4000 pence. According to this price level, the monthly income can only buy 200 catties of rice... The price is terrible.

"Don't look at the fact that rice is not an expensive thing, but it is a large quantity and everyone wants to eat it." Clegg continued, with a slightly excited tone, "This is a business that makes a lot of money, and those big grain merchants are unlikely to let it go. Yes. The price of food will definitely continue to rise, and the disaster relief supplies distributed by the government may be leftovers after they have been pumped a few times..."

He spouted accusations, and Nance nodded silently.

"In fact, it's okay to sell rice. Some grain stores are still buying and hoarding goods. They plan to save the rice until next year before selling it at a higher price." Clegg said, holding the steering wheel tightly: " The city hall said that they will provide disaster relief, crack down on the behavior of raising grain prices, and guarantee a steady supply of grain. The citizens believe it, and naturally they will not hoard grain when the price is not too high... The big grain merchant said Cooperate with the government's work, while reducing the supply, while secretly increasing the intensity of grain storage... Blind storage of grain, based on the experience of the past few years, is almost a business that can make money without losing money."

Speaking of these things, Clark's tone was a little low.

Nance's expression was indifferent.

Thinking about these things, he would feel compassionate, but at the same time feel powerless.

In the past thousands of years of human history, almost every government has a decree that prohibits hoarding and raising prices.Especially in the year of catastrophe, the control of food will be more sensitive.

But it was never a question of whether the law was perfect enough.

In ancient times, it was a matter of whether the decree could be passed down to the local area, and whether the local area was willing to implement it.

In modern times, it is a question of trade-offs between the benefits and costs of disobeying the law.

Many people think that as long as the law is enforced and all the guys who eat human blood steamed buns are killed, the problem can be solved.But in fact, it is very likely that the referee, the organizer and the association are all from other people. It is impossible to kill him. At most, he will punish himself with three cups and then what should he do...

"Hey, Mr. Adel." Clegg turned his head slightly and asked Nance, "If you are the mayor, can you crack down on these grain merchants?"

Nance thought for a moment, then sighed: "Facing a whole interest group, one person is still too small after all. In layman's terms, I will make everyone angry. In a sense, only talking about interests, not human nature This kind of thing is the essence of capital. Even if I am the mayor, if I dare to block their way of making money, the end will not be much better. There used to be a small country in Northeast Asia, and their domestic capital could even be liquidated by the president..."

Craig tapped his fingers on the steering wheel.

As for the fluctuations in food prices, it was just that he was full of resentment and it was hard to get rid of it, and he just vented it when he caught Nance, a "politician" who was willing to listen to him.If you really want him to think of any way or give any advice, he can't give it at all.

West Kowloon colorful silks are on display, street lamps are lined up in long rows, and luxury cars and carriages are crowding forward on the road, gathering here in a mighty way from the city... The grand dance is about to begin.

The refrigerated truck drove to Austin Road, and Nance got out of the car and walked into the traffic control circle.

Craig looked in through the car window.

In the cold air, the whole street here is decorated with street lights like a dream, and there are some unattainable things in the brightly lit hall at the end: music, flowers, dance, the most beautiful girls in Shin-Yokohama... …

Guests come and go, talking softly and wearing ball gowns.The ladies wore expensive sky blue and rose dresses, and diamonds and pearls adorned their bare arms and necks, making them extremely rich and luxurious.

The unhurried voices, noisy footsteps and cheers of the people deafened Craig in the distance.The bright lanterns and the flash of clothing made his eyes dim, and he almost couldn't find his way home.

"Ok?"

"strangeness……"

"Why does the snow seem to have grown a lot..."

With a vague premonition in his heart, Craig hurried back home.

After the snow became heavier, the road became more difficult to walk. Under the double influence of skidding and traffic jams, it took more than two hours to return to the original journey of more than half an hour.

The sky was completely dark.

Just after parking the car, Craig looked into the alley.

Flames rushed through the roof and soared into the air.

Suddenly, goose bumps appeared on his cheeks, and a chill pierced his heart.

The fire alarm bell rang suddenly.

He jumped out of the car and rushed home.

"Fire, fire!"

"It's on fire!"

"People inside, come out quickly!"

"Someone's house must have collapsed and knocked down the stove..."

The fire burst into the middle of the slum.

Flames loomed in the billowing smoke, spreading to the side, engulfing the surrounding eaves.

Clegg squeezed through the fleeing crowd with difficulty, and ran back to his home.Along the way, the fire became more intense, and the air became more and more choking... Looking down from a height, the fire was like a game, a game that devoured lives.

His tense temples were throbbing.

A few neighbors he knew came running from inside, and he raised his voice and asked, "Hello, how's it going inside?"

"The fire is too big, I don't know..."

"Is anyone hurt? Where's my mom?"

"They all ran out one by one, the fire spread quickly. Here, you see." Those people waved their arms and fled the fire in a hurry.

Bursts of burning sounds erupted from the sea of ​​flames, and tongues of flame sprang up right in front of your eyes.

The way forward was already blocked by the line of fire, and I could only watch the flames devour everything inside.

The fire was scorching, and the snow under the feet melted, and the snow was covered with messy footprints, which became muddy.Craig knelt on the snow, and someone next to him grabbed his arm tightly, preventing him from going any further.

His cheeks were hot, but his eyes were cold.

He blinked and controlled the tears, as if he saw his mother's face turned to ashes in the sea of ​​fire.

This process is full of an indescribable pain and sorrow.

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"Bang~"

Several bright salutes exploded overhead.

Nance straightened his tie and entered the ball hall under the bowed greeting of his attendants.

In the huge room with heating on, all the attendees were well-dressed, and every guest present was a famous big shot.Dressed in uniforms, tuxedos, some with belted gowns and powdered wigs, they moved to and fro like a swarm of bees on spring migration, sitting or standing, congregating or dispersing.

Crystal chandeliers hang from the four-story-high dome, reflecting the entire room in a magnificent manner.

The maids in uniform shuttled gracefully among the guests with drinks.

After Nance entered the arena, he went directly to the table where the food was placed.

He didn't have the idea of ​​seeing the upper class, and no one would dare to talk to him. He came here just for Li Qinglian who might appear tonight, and to taste a variety of food one by one by the way.

I have to say that rich people really enjoy life.

The table in front of me is full of dishes and tableware, and there are four kinds of bread alone.All kinds of delicacies from mountains and seas, salads, thick soups, fruits that are rare in winter: strawberries, apples, oranges, five kinds of cheese plus three kinds of ham, besides coffee and wine, there are three brands of mineral water...

Sufficient energy needs to be replenished in the cold winter.

Nance took a plate and filled it with what he wanted to eat.

"Are you here to buy?"

A faint questioning sound came from beside his ear, even with a hint of sarcasm.

Nance ate a piece of shrimp without haste and looked sideways.

It was the tall, slender-legged female superintendent Irene.Her bust and hips are more plump and prominent than ordinary women, her waist is slender and tight, and she has the perfect body proportions like a magazine cover.

The short hair is slightly tea-brown, the bridge of the nose is high, and the eyes are full of vitality and sharpness.

Nance, who had a bad mood towards her, suddenly brightened his eyes.She was wearing a white cheongsam with a landscape ink pattern, and her legs boldly extending from the slits at the base of her legs were quite perfect, not even inferior to the queen's legs.

"Is there no food at the dance?" Nance asked while watching.

"No, as long as you're not afraid of others laughing." Irene took a glass of champagne from the table, then sat down on the chair next to her, crossing her legs inadvertently.The perfect curves of the exposed legs caused a sound of saliva to be heard from around.

"I'm a kid who crawled out of a slum, and my top priority is to have enough to eat." Nance sat down opposite her with a pile of dinner plates, and forked a piece of steak that was charred on the outside and tender on the inside, "Well, it's delicious! Do you want it?"

Irene sipped champagne and said slowly: "This steak is too old, I usually only eat medium rare."

"Mid-rare is actually too old, and I have a fresher way to eat it." Nance said while chewing, "Find a pasture, and when the first ray of sunlight shines on the cow in the morning, just chase after it. Ass to chew..."

"puff--"

The sudden smile made Irene almost knock over the champagne in her hands.

The fair face turned a little red, she was both smiling and holding back, so the smiling face looked awkward as if there were decayed teeth in her mouth.

Nance bowed his head and continued to eat his food.

This is the place by the window, looking out to the harbor, you can see several cranes, marinas, box-shaped warehouses, freighters, high-rise buildings... After the night came, the garbage on the gray sea was finally gone, only the reflection in front of my eyes of prosperity.

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Double, ask for a monthly pass.

(End of this chapter)