After Ryōko Yakushiji signed the Familia contract and left with a somewhat subtle expression...
Kotoko Iwanaga couldn't help but laugh:
"You actually slipped the Familia contract that was going to be given anyway into the reward? Luo Shu, how can you be so wicked?"
"Isn't the Familia contract considered a reward?" Luo Shu played dumb at this moment: "Signing the contract means becoming one of us from now on, and you can even borrow resources from the Hidden Management Department. Doesn't that count as a reward?"
"It does count, but I can't help feeling that Miss Ryōko's expression just now looked like she'd been taken advantage of by you."
Kotoko Iwanaga giggled uncontrollably, even feeling somewhat sorry for Ryōko Yakushiji.
She accepted the surveillance mission, but that reward - could it even be called a reward? For Familia members, that's just basic resource provision that everyone gets.
This kind of reward must be the lowest tier within the Familia, right?
Who knows how this Ryōko Yakushiji offended Luo Shu to make him play her like this - it's really something else.
As for Kotoko Iwanaga's teasing, Luo Shu simply pretended not to hear it and said calmly:
"If it weren't for the need to ensure accuracy in surveillance work like this, I wouldn't have given her a Familia identity either."
"But it doesn't matter anyway. It was just a quarrel from several months ago. Playing one trick on her is enough."
Hearing Luo Shu say this, Kotoko Iwanaga said with a chuckle:
"You're really magnanimous, aren't you?"
After this light teasing, Kotoko Iwanaga stopped discussing these trivial matters and instead looked toward Luo Shu, who was sipping tea:
"You suspect the Five Great Powers will soon perform a True Dragon Sorcerer ritual?"
Hearing this, Luo Shu put down his teacup, glanced at Kotoko Iwanaga, and said calmly:
"You can completely remove the word 'suspect'."
"I see..." Kotoko Iwanaga frowned, then said: "So you're arranging personnel to monitor the organisations that might perform the ritual to prevent them from completing it?"
"Not exactly." Luo Shu shook his head, denying Kotoko Iwanaga's words: "I understand the principle that it's better to divert than to block."
"As long as the Five Great Powers are united and determined to complete the Class, even if we want to stop them, we won't be able to."
"So I have no objection to the Five Great Powers completing the True Dragon Sorcerer ritual and obtaining a Class holder." At this point, Luo Shu's lips curled slightly: "But I'm very interested in who this Class holder will work for."
Hearing Luo Shu say this, Kotoko Iwanaga's eyes widened immediately, looking at him somewhat bewildered:
"So you actually want to steal the prize?!"
Luo Shu didn't deny it, only calmly changed the subject:
"Meer will keep an eye on South America. For Southeast Asia, I'll contact Lin Qi from the Chinese Union. As for Africa, we can only have the Desire Faction monitor France closely."
"Whereas here in Japan, those with the resources to complete the ritual are basically just you, Kotoko, the Seto Group, Nura Clan, Shikoku's Hyakki Yagyō, and the remnants of the Hagoromo Group - organisations with resources from hundreds of races."
"And aside from Shikoku's Hyakki Yagyō, these are basically all peripheral forces of our Hidden Management Department."
"Controlling them should be relatively simple. The only thing we need to guard against is other forces like the Japanese government and the Onmyou Agency."
"As for the Self-Defence Forces, without deployment orders, they naturally cannot act. At the Metropolitan Police Department, I've assigned Ryōko Yakushiji, and at the Onmyou Agency, Suzuka Dairenji can also help keep an eye on things."
"Even for the Cabinet's direct subordinates, Daichi Fujiwara and Maya Yotsuba are helping to monitor them."
"Oh, there's also the Ministry of Environment Countermeasures Office, but their general Yomi Isayama is considered one of our people, so there's no need to worry too much."
Listening to Luo Shu listing them out, Kotoko Iwanaga's lips unconsciously pursed into a cat-like shape:
"It feels like all the major forces in Japan have been infiltrated by your people now, Luo Shu..."
"And it hasn't even been that long..."
Hearing this, Luo Shu thought it did seem to be the case.
Though it was rather haphazard, in Japan - whether in political circles, yokai circles, mystical circles, or capital circles - Luo Shu had arranged for people to keep watch.
One could say that if these forces were to be integrated, overthrowing the current regime in Japan wouldn't be particularly difficult.
However, changing national regimes meant triggering one of the Five Great Powers' divine-level Abyss Artefacts.
Therefore, even though Luo Shu could achieve regime change, he didn't want to provoke the Divine-level Abyss Artefacts.
Moreover, Luo Shu had no desire to become the emperor of Japan.
"Since this is our home turf, it's never wrong to be well-prepared."
Luo Shu gave a somewhat perfunctory response to Kotoko Iwanaga's comment, then asked in return:
"But speaking of poaching, what's the deal with that Miss Shiranui?"
"Among the yokai you're cooperating with, there are Familia candidates like this?"
"Didn't I mention it?" Kotoko Iwanaga blinked, looking confused as she spoke.
Hearing this, Luo Shu immediately stared seriously at Kotoko Iwanaga, speaking in a stern tone:
"Not at all, you haven't said a single word about it!"
"I only found out when you brought her to my door seeking help!"
"Ah, I must have been too busy and forgotten."
Kotoko Iwanaga stuck out her tongue, then said with a laugh:
"But Luo Shu, you don't need to worry. Shiranui is my friend after all, and with me acting as an insider, getting her to join the Familia should be easy, right?"
Hearing this, Luo Shu stared at Kotoko Iwanaga's small face, his tone full of scrutiny:
"No, that's not what I meant just now. What I meant was, among your friends, exactly how many Familia candidates are there?"
"That's hard to say..." Kotoko Iwanaga's small face immediately scrunched up in distress: "After all, I have far too many friends - I've never counted exactly how many, but it should be over 1,000. If you're asking how many of them are Familia candidates, I'd have to check them one by one."
A thousand friends? Are you some kind of friendship alien from another universe? Luo Shu couldn't help but complain internally, then sighed and said:
"Then let's arrange for Shiranui first. At least we helped her resolve the sea yokai matter. Try to see if you can get her to join the Familia too!"
"OK, OK, I'll talk to her as soon as I get back!"
Listening to Kotoko Iwanaga's assurance, Luo Shu couldn't shake the feeling that this girl was being perfunctory with him, but he just couldn't prove it.
But never mind. The Familia had been developing too rapidly recently and needed some time to consolidate. Unless they were Demigod or Apostle Rank Familia candidates, Luo Shu didn't actually have much need for them.
So for now, he'd just let Kotoko Iwanaga handle things.
Moreover, compared to these uncertain candidates, Luo Shu felt that those who were already part of the Familia needed to be prioritised.
After all...
Luo Shu narrowed his eyes and opened the Familia's system chat group.
[Kisara: Can we go on a date tomorrow? If not, I... we can schedule for the day after?]
[Haruno Yukinoshita: Remember to keep the morning of the 26th free. I think my mother has noticed something!]
[La Folia: Are you there? Make a sound. How about going on a date together tomorrow?]
[Takatsuki Izumi: Here's this week's surveillance report. The target shows no abnormalities so far.]
And this was just part of the messages from the Divine Pantheon. The LINE messages on his phone were giving Luo Shu a headache, too.
[Ai Hayasaka: The young mistress hopes to meet you soon. Would you like to arrange a time?]
[Maya Yotsuba: Are you free to meet for coffee?]
[Utau Hoshina: I have no schedule from the evening of May 26th onwards. Check your arrangements and get back to me.]
Looking at all these messages, Luo Shu fell into deep contemplation.
'I don't think I ever learned the Shadow Clone Technique, did I?'