Page Sixty-Six The Final Preparations (Part Two)
Having two iron cylinders tucked at my waist inevitably led to some bumps and knocks. When Mùxī entered, the sound of her stumbling attracted the limited attention in the shop, including that of the unreasonable female drunkard. She also glanced back at us, but showed no reaction.
“—Rest assured, I’ve applied cognitive interference. Unless she sees you through a camera, she won’t recognize you.”
In short, Cherry Sauce had blurred my face.
The juice shop attendant brought over two warm cups of lemon tea. It was not just for Shān Jie; Lǐn Huā also prepared one for Mùxī to dispel the cold within her body.
I whispered, “After you finish drinking, let’s move to another place to talk.”
“Has Sister Língmèng discovered something?”
Noticing the caution in my tone, Mùxī’s voice also became softer. Years of battling the Loan Shark Gang had made her cautious… sometimes overly so, in stark contrast to Gǒu Jie’s boldness.
“Not yet. It’s inconvenient to say for now.”
The juice shop wasn’t large. We were separated from the female drunkard by only a narrow aisle, so I didn’t dare speak loudly.
Shān Jie held the warm lemon tea cup to warm herself up. She whispered, “Shouldn’t you be more concerned about that lady behind the counter? Ever since she came in, you’ve been silent… and even blurred your face?”
“You’re truly a beautiful girl detective. Nothing can escape your notice.”
To my flattery, Shān Jie looked at me with wide eyes in surprise.
“A beautiful girl detective? What kind of embarrassing title is that?”
Xiǎo Lěi narrowed her eyes, stealing glances at the female drunkard who was shaking her cup.
“Why is that person problematic? I thought Chairman was upset because Gǒu Jie drank all the watermelon juice.”
Saying watermelon juice, does she think I’m petty?
Even though it was taken without asking, I still felt a bit annoyed…
“—Hey, miser, introduce them to each other.”
Cherry Sauce reminded me, and I remembered that not everyone here knew each other.
Mùxī had seen Lǐn Huā and Xiǎo Lěi at the temple, but this petite Shān Jie was new to her. Similarly, Shān Jie didn’t know Mùxī’s identity, so they both held back when talking. Therefore, introducing them was necessary.
So I said, “Let me introduce you. Mùxī, the fierce-looking young girl beside you is Léi Shān. Don’t be fooled by her small size; she’s actually seventeen years old. For various reasons, she’s currently self-studying like you, but her goal is to directly advance to third year high school and join us in the college entrance exam next year.”
Mùxī blinked in surprise.
“Ah! Directly advance to third year! That might be a bit difficult for me…”
Mùxī seems to lack confidence in her studies.
I comforted her, “It’s okay. Shān Jie has an extraordinary memory. Most people can’t match her. Plus, starting from first year has its advantages; after all, high school life itself is irreplaceable.”
Although if Gǒu Jie were to take her exams, she could probably manage too.
“Shān Jie, this sturdy girl is Mùxī.”
Mùxī politely nodded with some hesitation.
“Hello, Shān Jie.”
Shān Jie replied, “She’s a friend of Xiao Lingmeng, no need to be so formal.”
They exchanged greetings, and I continued the introductions.
“Her father works on ships, but like Sister Qiàn, he’s entangled with the Loan Shark Gang. His family’s financial struggles worsened, forcing him to drop out of school. However, the gang’s actions infuriated our senior sister Bìfāng, leading to their downfall.”
Though their retribution wasn’t entirely legitimate, they managed to extort money as compensation for the Mù family before the gang collapsed.
It’s better not to tell Shān Jie about this dark side.
“Then, under Lord Hái’s intervention, Gǒu Jie’s soul took refuge in Mùxī’s body, becoming a guardian-like entity known as a dog deity.”
When I said this, Mùxī’s pupils turned an eerie blue, and Gǒu Jie appeared to greet us.
“It’s similar to how Xiao Kai is. Xiao Léi Shān, we haven’t seen each other since the Bìyáng school sports meet, right?”
Shān Jie didn’t seem surprised, probably because Sister Miāomiāo had already told her.
She sighed regretfully, “It’s really a pity what happened, but I’m glad you’re safe.”
Actually, she wasn’t completely safe, given the inconveniences of living inside Mùxī. Gǒu Jie smiled, “Thank you. Mùxī is now staying at the temple, and she knows everything she needs to know. So don’t hold back; you can say whatever comes to mind… or better yet, have Mùxī come out and chat with you directly. I can hear everything.”
After saying this, her eyes returned to black.
Several ethereal blue flames floated around Mùxī, representing Gǒu Jie’s current essence, which ordinary people couldn’t see.
“So, let’s get along well, Mùxī.”
The five of us squeezed into a four-person booth, even though Shān Jie was small, it was still cramped. So once they finished their tea, we hurriedly left the juice shop.
However…
“—Don’t worry, I left a trace of black substance in her bag. Think of it as a radar. I can track her wherever she goes.”
Oh! Cherry Sauce is really reliable!
Though we had escaped, we hadn’t decided on our next destination yet. Standing in the middle of the pedestrian street, facing a large guide map, we discussed while blowing cold air.
“First, let’s decide where to make the exchange.”
Shān Jie spoke up first, “For this, I have an idea.”
With her exceptional memory, she knew the structure of the Balance Commercial District inside out, including corners not marked on the map. Compared to others, she could propose…
“…This… Hmm.”
Shān Jie wasn’t tall enough. Even standing on tiptoe, she couldn’t point to the desired spot.
“…Shān Jie, use this.”
I handed her an extendable teaching stick. Don’t ask where I got it; of course, it was transformed by Cherry Sauce.
“Thanks. What I meant was this.”
The teaching stick tapped the upper part of the large map. At the edge of the commercial district stood a building named “Balance Food Company.” Unlike other high-end shopping malls, this outdated name suggested its long history.
“…Is anyone even going there?”
When I asked, the walking map began to explain seriously.
“Xiao Lingmeng, that’s the starting point of the entire commercial district, with decades of history. Your father’s generation should be familiar with it. It mainly sells snacks, dried fruits, foreign cigarettes, and alcohol. Nowadays, it’s most famous for the underground night market, which is bustling every night.”
Xiǎo Lěi suddenly raised her hand, “Oh! I know that night market. I went there with my mother! (sucking sound)”
For some reason, she was drooling.
But I still didn’t understand Shān Jie’s intention.
“I don’t understand. Why choose such a crowded place for the exchange? Isn’t that disadvantageous for us?”
Before Shān Jie could answer, Lǐn Huā reminded, “Kǎi-Chan, we need to catch the other party and obtain evidence of their transaction. A quiet and remote place would be easier to catch them, but the other side isn’t stupid. If that lady is indeed from the Glorious Family, her cautious behavior suggests she wouldn’t go to such a secluded place alone. After all, the Glorious Family doesn’t fully trust the Scorpion Man.”
I could relate to the female drunkard.
If I had eighty thousand yuan in my bag, I’d be immobilized, thinking everyone wanted to rob me.
Shān Jie nodded and added, “Since it’s a night market, there won’t be many tourists during weekdays. Many facilities there are old and dilapidated, even the surveillance cameras are broken, just for show.”
Hmm? Regardless of the night market information, why does Shān Jie know about the damaged surveillance?
As long as that female drunkard doesn’t know, seeing those broken cameras will give her peace of mind. This disparity is our opportunity.
Confirming our destination, we plunged into the underground shopping street, heading towards the Balance Food Company. The entire commercial district’s underground was interconnected, making it easy to get lost like a maze, but with the reliable Shān Jie leading us, we wouldn’t get lost.
Following for a while, I turned to Lǐn Huā and asked.
“So, how do we catch that female drunkard after the transaction? I doubt the agreement between you and the Scorpion Man includes helping us catch her.”
“Yes, catching her is up to us.”
She showed me her phone with the chat record with the Scorpion Man and explained, “I provided fake photos to lure members of the Glorious Family here. In return, he wants the remaining commission money. Once he gets the remaining eighty thousand yuan, he’ll leave and have nothing to do with us. Even if we catch someone, he won’t care… probably wouldn’t listen anyway.”
That guy seems quite timid, truly frightened by Sister Zǐ’s severity.
Little Mùxī asked, “Sister Língmèng, can we trust such a person?”
She was referring to the Scorpion Man.
Having heard from Xiǎo Lěi, she knew roughly what we planned today and had no good impression of the Scorpion Man. After all, they were originally debt collectors, just like the scum who burned down the ship.
I laughed bitterly, “That’s precisely why I asked you and Gǒu Jie for help. But don’t worry too much. If we encounter any unsolvable trouble, I have other means.”
Mùxī’s pupils emitted a blue flame, like glowing gems.
She asked, “Then why not use those means directly? Why involve us? Fighting carries risks. What if Mùxī gets hurt?”
“If I intervene, things will happen beyond scientific explanation. I won’t let you actually fight; I’ll just scare them.”
Gǒu Jie joked, “Oh? Supernatural phenomena? Wouldn’t that create psychological pressure for them? Imagine chairs and bricks floating in the air. I guarantee they’ll be too scared to even start fighting.”
“Be serious. If this gets out, I’ll have problems!”
The road was quite long. Along the way, the shops and passages started to look old, walls crumbling, lights turning slightly yellow, like old photographs from last century.
Yet, these shops were adorned with strange decorations—maple leaf wreaths, candles, pumpkins.
This created a stark contrast.
Like an old lady wearing a vibrant flower dress for young girls.
Xiǎo Lěi sniffed and said, “There’s a very fragrant smell ahead!”
I smelled the fragrance too.
The unique aroma of freshly baked coconut bread could be recognized even from ten meters away. Drawn by the scent, Xiǎo Lěi ran into the bakery.
“Really, we’re not here to shop…”
Shān Jie said, “It’s fine, we’ve arrived.”
Arrived?
I looked up at the neon sign above the passage.
“Thanksgiving Food Carnival?”
Turns out, they were holding a festival event these days.
