"Hello."
The waitress at the beverage store displayed a gentle smile that could score eighty points, her voice almost drowned out by the thunderous roar that shot skyward behind her, followed by a string of sharp screams.
That came from a big silver-white creature. A white dragon swooped down from a track nearly a hundred meters high, its silver-white steel wings slicing through the sky full of white clouds like a sharp knife, with a pair of bright blue eyes ahead.
A roller coaster with almost a hundred-meter drop... shaped like a Blue-Eyes White Dragon.
Of course, this is Kaiba Land.
Today happens to be the first anniversary of Kaiba Land's opening.
"Hello." Seemingly thinking her voice was covered by the roller coaster, the waitress repeated, "What would you like to drink?"
Youyu stood in front of the beverage store's menu, feeling a bit overwhelmed.
Hmm... Let me see.
Should I order a Blue-Eyes Classic Milk Cap or a Double Burst Latte?
Every time I come to Kaiba's place, it always feels a bit cumbersome, as if the President has this innate talent to flaunt his White Bride in all sorts of unexpected places, as if he can't wait to emphasize to the whole world "She's mine"...
The waitress still diligently recommended: "How about trying the newly launched 'Deep-Eyes' milk tea?"
The Deep-Eyes set meal, huh... It seems to correspond to the White Bride's new skin "Deep-Eyes White Dragon"?
But if I remember correctly, Youyu is quite sure that during their last card game—actually not long ago—the President's hand still didn't have a "Deep-Eyes White Dragon."
Does that mean since the last duel the President printed new skins for the White Bride?
Not bad, the President's card printing efficiency has really increased recently.
Judai had no hesitation: "I want a 'Elemental Hero' and 'Masked Hero' combo!"
"Alright." The waitress smiled and tapped on her screen a couple of times, "I'll place the order for you, is there anything else you need?"
Youyu: "..."
It's kind of ridiculous, most of the menu is basically various White Dragon sets, yet there's somehow still a spot for "Hero" flavored milk teas in the corner.
What does that imply?
It suggests the President still remembers there's a Duel King in the company?
"Then... I'll have the basic 'White Dragon' please."
"I'll try the 'Deep-Eyes' then," Chinai said softly.
Youyu pulled out his card to pay the bill, and soon came out with three cups of milk tea.
Chinai held the newly launched "Deep-Eyes" milk tea and took a few sips before turning to Youyu: "This new product tastes pretty good."
"Is that so? That's great."
Youyu casually responded, while simultaneously thinking about his speech when he goes on stage later.
Kaiba Land's first anniversary has a special celebration event today. In just over two hours, President Kaiba Seto will personally make a speech, during which his role as the Duel King will require him to say a few words to warm up the atmosphere.
Considering Youyu's current status, he could simply stand on the stage, show his face, and the popularity would naturally soar.
But the annoying thing is... Kaiba doesn't pay for appearances!
Does he not see me as an outsider anymore?
Youyu felt this couldn't continue!
...
... unless the salary is increased!
Chinai hesitated for a moment after drinking two more sips before speaking softly: "Um, Youyu... do you want to try it too? It tastes pretty good."
"Hmm? Sure."
Youyu casually took the milk tea from her hand and took a sip through the straw.
... No straw replacement!
Chinai, who noticed this detail, briefly blushed, lowered her head, and stayed silent.
"It's pretty good." Youyu returned the paper cup to her, "I'll try this next time."
"Hmm... hmm."
Chinai, a little dizzy, was walking almost as if floating when she took the cup back.
Youyu wasn't too concerned about the specific contents of today's one-year anniversary celebration, but he did hear that there seemed to be some simple previews of the "Link System" under development to attract attention.
He didn't know the specifics, but he could roughly imagine.
Isn't it just big talk? I've seen plenty at E3 game expos.
Thinking this way, if Kaiba Group is considered a game company, it might truly make all the manufacturers worldwide ashamed. To promote card playing, Kaiba Company directly gifts Duel Discs based on their divided Duelist levels, sparing no cost or effort in developing aerospace, energy, and space exploration industries...
... all to bring card players worldwide a better gaming experience.
Forming a stark contrast with some unscrupulous companies that talk big and haven't produced anything for three to five years, adding a few embellishments each year to the stale promises of the previous year.
The second-generation Duel Discs released earlier this year supposedly support face recognition unlocking. Not only can they be used for card duels, but they can also undertake more tasks in life. It's said that even many people who don't play cards have gotten their hands on such a Duel Disc.
However, this generation of Duel Discs supposedly still needs improvement in face recognition technology.
The closest familiar person to Youyu who's been offended by this Duel Disc should be President Tosawa Mukuro.
That day at the Nightwalker World Headquarters, as soon as Youyu entered, he heard President Tosawa Mukuro grumbling, saying the Duel Disc was too outrageous.
Usually, it was fine if it just indicated unsuccessful face recognition, but today it couldn't even detect a face... You're just a broken Duel Disc, who do you think you're looking down on?
It's not like my forehead's balding slightly, my features are abstract, or I'm slightly uglier.
Then the Duel Disc emitted a clear, pleasant female voice: "Sorry, unable to detect a face, please rescan..."
Everyone present turned their heads, showing painful expressions indicating "it might not be appropriate to laugh, but I really can't hold it in."
Youyu glanced at his watch.
It's two hours until the event, and his appearance time is scheduled for later, so it should be enough to leisurely accompany Chinai to stroll to the central venue.
"Um, may I disturb you for a moment?"
A very soft and gentle voice sounded beside them.
Chinai quickly came to her senses, realizing the call was directed at her. She turned her head somewhat puzzled, seeing a face with fair, delicate skin and excessively exquisite features.
She had long, smooth black hair, jewel-like clear blue eyes, and she smiled a bit bashfully, with sweet dimples appearing when she smiled.
Even as a girl herself, Chinai couldn't help but think "beautiful beyond belief" in her mind.
"May I ask... how to get to the central venue?" she asked softly.
Chinai paused for a moment, shifting her gaze to a sign just a few steps away behind the girl, clearly drawing the whole map of Kaiba Land, even thoughtfully marking their current location.
The "central venue" she asked about happened to be the most prominent and eye-catching landmark at the center of the map, almost impossible to miss.
The girl followed Chinai's gaze to the map, her beautiful face filled with embarrassment.
She covered her face, "Well... I can't read maps QAQ"
Chinai: "..."