When Law pointed out that they were being followed, Ellie wasn't concerned.
Law was still pondering where they might have been exposed when Ellie said calmly, "It's probably those boring reporters."
"Huh?"
Law hadn't considered that possibility, instead linking the tail to the undercurrents swirling beneath Yorknew City.
"I can already imagine tomorrow's headlines. 'Famous entrepreneur Ellie seems to have unusual tastes. In broad daylight, she actually...'" Ellie said, casting a light, meaningful glance at Law's current appearance.
Her tone carried a trace of complaint.
She didn't care how the news reported it, and it seemed she was using this to complain about Law wearing a mask even while accompanying her shopping.
Thinking of this, a fun idea suddenly flashed through Ellie's mind.
Law detected the complaint in Ellie's tone but could only choose to ignore it.
Wearing the mask was to avoid potential risks, something he naturally couldn't explain clearly to Ellie.
"I'll go deal with it," Law said.
"It's no use. Deal with one, and another will pop up. In the end, there will only be more and more."
As she spoke, Ellie was observing the shops on the street. When she saw a fairly large men's clothing store, her eyes suddenly lit up.
"Come with me."
Ellie grabbed Law's hand and pulled him towards the men's clothing store.
Stargie saw this and silently followed behind.
Ten minutes later, two female shop assistants stood outside the fitting room in the men's store, looking at the firmly closed door with strange expressions.
Just moments ago, a group of one man and two women had entered the store. The man was ugly and old-looking, while the women were stunningly beautiful.
Then, the relatively petite woman randomly grabbed a few sets of men's clothing and, looking excited, pulled the other two into the fitting room with her.
Her swift, decisive actions didn't give them any chance to assist, and they could only stare blankly as the trio disappeared into the fitting room.
That trio was Law, Ellie, and Stargie.
"Is this the new trendy game for rich people now?" The two shop assistants silently exchanged looks.
Judging by their attire, Ellie and Stargie were clearly wealthy beauties, while Law's clothes seemed rather shabby in comparison, giving them a sense of role reversal.
Moreover, one man and two women sharing a single fitting room inevitably made them imagine things. In fact, during their careers, they had seen many couples with special preferences who liked to occupy fitting rooms.
But that man was just too ugly.
Once they started picturing the scene, the two shop assistants felt seriously uncomfortable.
Inside the fitting room.
"So, why did you pull me in here?"
Law was facing the wall, smiling wryly.
Not far behind him, Ellie took off her clothes, revealing her figure which had not an ounce of excess fat, and changed into the men's outfit, saying, "To get your opinion, of course. Going in and out is too much trouble."
"..." Law was speechless.
Then, Ellie also had Stargie take off her clothes and change into men's attire.
"Alright, you can turn around now."
After they were both changed, Ellie spoke to Law, who was still facing the wall.
Law turned around and looked at Ellie and Stargie in men's clothing. It actually had a unique kind of beauty to it.
"Not bad," he commented.
Hearing this, Ellie nodded. "I think it's about right too."
As she spoke, she stretched out her hand towards Law.
"What for?" Law asked, puzzled.
Ellie revealed a sly smile. "Give me two face masks."
Three minutes later, the sound of the fitting room door unlocking rang out. The two shop assistants outside perked up instantly, putting on professional smiles as they stepped forward to greet them.
The next second, their smiles froze.
Seeing three ugly men walk out of the fitting room, one of the shop assistants with weaker mental fortitude fainted on the spot.
"The effect is outstanding," Ellie, wearing the face mask, said upon seeing this, excitedly hugging Law's arm.
The other shop assistant, hearing the female voice coming from Ellie, promptly followed in her colleague's footsteps and fainted.
"Haha!"
Ellie took two hats from the store, put one on to cover her hair, and gave the other to Stargie.
Law glanced apologetically at the fainted shop assistants, then went to the counter to pay.
A few minutes later, the trio left the men's clothing store.
Ellie held onto Law's arm, acting like a doting lover.
However, her face mask featured thick lips with three large, hairy black moles, and a broad nose from which nose hair sprouted like undergrowth.
With such an appearance, sweetly snuggling up to another man whose looks were equally striking, was truly a sight to behold.
Passersby on the street who saw this scene revealed expressions as if they'd seen a ghost.
Ellie could hardly contain her laughter. It was a pity Law only had one arm now, otherwise, she would have had Stargie hold his other arm too… that would have been even more fun.
Since Law had also changed his mask, the reporters staking outside didn't recognize Ellie and Stargie. They also watched the trio depart with expressions of disbelief.
Along the way, the combination of Law and Ellie guaranteed a 100% rate of people turning to look, making passersby feel even more horrified when the three 'men' actually entered a high-end women's clothing store.
Time passed. Law accompanied Ellie in her silly antics for a few hours before suggesting they return to the hotel.
Ellie hadn't had enough fun yet, but Law insisted and brought her back to the hotel.
Watching Law and Ellie fool around, the corners of Stargie's mouth occasionally turned upwards.
By the time they returned to the hotel, it was already 2 p.m.
The three didn't remove their masks and used the key card to open the room.
Upon entering, Salin wasn't there, only Kurapika was eating in the dining area.
Hearing the noise, he looked up, and the milk he was drinking sprayed out instantly.
"Haha!"
Seeing this, Ellie dropped the bags full of clothes and pointed at the stunned Kurapika, laughing heartily.
It seemed to be the first time Law had seen her so excited.
"It's us."
Law addressed the dumbfounded Kurapika.
He and Ellie's voices were presumably recognizable to Kurapika.
Kurapika finally managed to collect himself. Being very image-conscious, he quickly picked up a napkin to wipe his mouth.
Law took off his face mask, while Ellie, after her fun, took Stargie back to the room to try on the new clothes.
"The Mafia will hold the underground auction again tonight. The location is the Cemetery Building, the time is unchanged," Law said.
"Will the Troupe come?" Kurapika put down his fork. The fatigue from yesterday was gone from his face, and it seemed he had adjusted his mindset and recovered quite well.
Law glanced at the half-eaten food in front of Kurapika. "I can't say for sure they will come, but the possibility is high. Finish your meal first, I'll discuss the details with you later."
That night.
Mafia members blocked off the area within a one-kilometer radius of the Cemetery Building, with even the police mobilized to assist.
Every intersection was guarded by at least a hundred Mafia members, each looking fierce and menacing. The orders they received were to turn any intruders into sieves.
Just in terms of armed Mafia personnel, there were close to three thousand people within this one-kilometer area.
Silva and Zeno, having come from afar, entered the Cemetery Building to rendezvous with the other assassins hired by the Mafia.
At the same time, the full remaining members of the Troupe set out, heading straight for the unfinished buildings in Yorknew City. The method they adopted was a full-on assault!
When the clock hand moved towards 8:30 p.m., an explosion suddenly sounded from one street, with thick smoke rising into the air.
This explosion was like a battle horn. Immediately after, explosions rang out almost simultaneously from streets and intersections in all directions.
The Troupe's operation had begun. They weren't concentrating their assault on a single point but advancing from various directions, gradually crushing the Mafia's armed forces.
Law and Kurapika stood on the rooftop of a tall building. Their position was less than a hundred meters from the Cemetery Building.
Looking down at the distant explosions, Law suddenly said to Kurapika beside him, "The Cemetery Building... I wonder why the founder chose such a name."
"Probably the same reason the Mafia likes to wear black suits?" Kurapika tried to continue the conversation.
Law looked at him in surprise, then said flatly, "Let's hope the name proves fitting."
May this place become the burial ground for the Troupe.
Three hundred meters away from their building stood another tall building.
At that moment, three figures stealthily made their way to the rooftop.
Those three were none other than Ellie, Stargie, and Salin.