Chapter Twelve: Deal
“Please, can someone come here!”
“Hello? Anyone there? It’s after work hours, and there’s still an innocent person locked up in here!”
While making a deadpan, pig-like shriek, Lu Yibei silently pondered.
Since dreaming of Mr. Rabbit killing someone has turned out to be real, could that strange dream I just had be real too?
If it is real, then who is the girl in the dream?
My mom? My ex-girlfriend from a past life? My future daughter? When will they come knocking on my door?
And where is that tall building?
After recalling the scenes he saw in the dream and confirming several times, Lu Yibei realized that there are definitely no buildings that tall in Huacheng, one that allows a view over every corner of the city from its heights.
“d*mn it, can someone please come here! What you’re doing is inhumane, it’s illegal detention! When I get out of here…”
“Squeak—!” The iron door of the interrogation room was pushed open from the outside, and the words that were about to come out of Lu Yibei’s mouth were swallowed back down.
The little maid entered with a stern face, giving Lu Yibei a sidelong glance, and said quietly, “What are you going to do when you get out? Do you want to take revenge on us?”
Only then did Lu Yibei finally see the appearance of this “warm-hearted door opener.”
She was not tall, dressed in a traditional black-and-white maid outfit, her figure balanced but curvy.
Her small and delicate face had a hint of Nordic charm, with some very light freckles, black-rimmed glasses hiding a pair of deep purple eyes, and light gray hair cut to ear level, evoking an inexplicable image of a sheep.
But Lu Yibei knew very well that she was no such thing; she was a wolf in sheep’s clothing!
How could a proper sheep know so many interrogation methods!
More than the “Ten Cruelties of the Qing Dynasty,” and even scarier!
Lu Yibei straightened his back, shook his head like a rattle, and raised three fingers as if swearing, saying, “No, no, I meant to say, after I get out, I will definitely keep my mouth shut, as if nothing ever happened! I won’t hold a grudge at all, and I will thank you for giving me another chance at life, during the holidays I will…”
“Shut up!” The little maid interrupted him with a very unfriendly tone, “You can leave now.”
“Ah?”
“What do you mean, ‘ah’? I’ve finished asking my questions; is it strange to let you go?”
“No, of course not! It’s just that this happiness came too suddenly; I didn’t quite react!” Lu Yibei scratched the back of his head, frowning, “But I see that you seem to be part of some special department dealing with urban legends, and you’re just letting me go like this?”
Lu Yibei was no fool; after encountering such strange occurrences, he sensed that those urban legends circulating in the city could very well be true.
He had long seen similar things online, being trapped in a haunted campus and having mysterious figures in black come to the rescue.
A muscular man suspected to be a Shaolin monk battling a monster covered in tentacles in an abandoned factory, and surprisingly, the one on the left actually won!
A horse-girl clad in silver runed armor dragging a four-meter-long giant cleaver chased a bloodsucker-like monster down Eighteen Streets, not even blinking an eye!
…
Most of these videos and posts may have been just cashing in on the “urban legend craze,” with no swift deletions like the novels depict.
But some part of it might be true; that special department rumored to handle urban legends might actually exist.
And it was very likely right here!
After realizing this, he was not entirely shocked; if his hands weren’t cuffed, he might have jumped up in excitement.
He just appeared to have no reaction; this was a false calm…
“Not leaving? Do you want to stay here overnight?” The little maid said impatiently.
“Don’t I have to sign some sort of confidentiality agreement?” Lu Yibei asked suspiciously, “There can’t be some conspiracy going on here, right?”
Upon hearing that, the little maid’s eyelids twitched, and her heart tightened. She initially thought Lu Yibei had guessed their lady’s plan to draw out the snake, but when he continued to ramble nonsensically, she felt somewhat relieved.
He didn’t guess anything; he was just talking too much—perhaps it was a lucky accident?
But what is wrong with this person!?
Clearly, he has some form of a stoic, cold-faced handsome vibe; if he cleaned himself up and promoted himself, maybe he could debut. But unfortunately, he has this mouth and can talk!
“I’ll ask you one more time: are you leaving or not? If you don’t, you’ll stay here for the rest of your life!” The little maid said with annoyance.
“Of course, I’m leaving!” Lu Yibei nodded and bowed, and if there was a bit more flattery in his smile, he would undoubtedly come across as a sycophant.
Hearing Lu Yibei say this, the little maid felt a sense of relief as if she had just rid herself of a huge burden.
This is the first time I’ve encountered such a headache-inducing person involved in this matter; it’s really tough.
The little maid thought, stepping forward to unlock Lu Yibei’s handcuffs, then rummaged beneath her skirt and tossed a black hood in front of him.
Lu Yibei frowned, hesitating for a moment.
Will it smell strange coming from such a place? Like… something unpleasant? I’m not a germaphobe, but I still like to be clean.
“What are you dawdling about? Put it on and follow me!”
“I can’t know the location of your base, uh, sorry, where the headquarters are, right? I understand, I understand!”
As he spoke, Lu Yibei grabbed the hood, put it on his head, and then…
Took a strong whiff.
Hmm, thankfully it doesn’t have a weird smell, just a faint warmth and a hint of jasmine scent that’s barely there.
In the darkness, Lu Yibei was nudged forward by the little maid behind him, and with her guidance, he began to walk ahead.
…
A few minutes later.
“We’re here.”
A voice tinged with disdain from the little maid came to his ears, followed by the hood being removed from his head. After adjusting to the light, Lu Yibei looked around, only to find that he had somehow arrived at the bottom of an apartment building.
Only a few minutes of walking, and quite slowly, and I’m already at the bottom of my home? Lu Yibei thought in surprise, does this mean…
The base of the mysterious organization is in my residential area!
The setting of a mysterious organization’s base being underground in a neighborhood committee isn’t rare, is it? Bai Xiaohua’s base was even in a convenience store!
“Go up, and remember, don’t mention today’s events to anyone. As long as you say it, we will definitely know!”
The little maid warned Lu Yibei and turned to leave, but just then, Lu Yibei called out to her.
“Wait a minute!”
“What is it?”
“Can I get a contact number? What if that Mr. Rabbit finds me again? I might need to call for help.”
“No need, don’t worry; he won’t come looking for you again!”
“Okay, then…” Lu Yibei leaned slightly forward, rubbing his thumb and index finger together in front of the little maid, and said seriously, “Aren’t I assisting you with your case? Isn’t there any kind of civic reward for being friendly?”
Although his father left him quite a fortune, he also knows what it’s like to struggle from a young age and understands the importance of saving money.
Earning a little is better than nothing; I can’t let the family fortune be squandered in my hands, Lu Yibei thought.
“Hey—!”
The little maid no longer wanted to talk; fearing that speaking with him would lead to a basket of nonsense, she sighed softly, dug out a pistol, and aimed it at Lu Yibei’s head.
Seeing this, Lu Yibei’s face changed, murmuring “goodbye!” before turning around and running away faster than the wind.
…
As soon as he ran into the hallway, Lu Yibei stopped, stood still for a few seconds, then turned back, poking half his head out to look at the apartment entrance.
The entrance was empty, and he could immediately see the hazy green belt outside the door; the little maid had long since disappeared.
After hiding in the hallway and observing for a while, confirming that the little maid had truly left, Lu Yibei then headed upstairs.
Once home, he immediately locked all the doors and windows, thought for a moment, and then rummaged through the storage room for a safety bolt and a car battery. After plugging in the safety bolt, he connected it to the door handle with a clip wire.
Even though the little maid told him on the way back that he was safe now and he should treat it as if nothing happened, he still felt a bit uneasy.
From the memories of the dream involving Mr. Rabbit’s killings, he realized that Mr. Rabbit would knock and twist the door handle before entering.
Even if the safety bolt and battery couldn’t stop Mr. Rabbit, they could at least buy some time, Lu Yibei thought; it wouldn’t take much effort to prepare, and it’s better to be cautious!
After finishing everything, he stood with his hands on his hips, looking around as if something was missing. Then he slowly turned around and looked at the Ming King statue in the corner of the living room, nodding.
“Well, tonight you’ll have to bear with me a bit longer!”
He said expressionlessly, walked up to it, pressed his palms together, bowed three times in front of the Ming King statue, then lifted it up and headed upstairs.
…
In a closed warehouse shrouded in darkness, there was a stench of decay in the air.
Someone pushed the door open.
The man sitting quietly in the chair slowly stood up, his body exposed to the faint light coming in through the door, but his face was entirely hidden in the deep shadows.
He looked at the figure in front of him with a rabbit head and crimson eyes, smirking, and opened his arms saying, “My dear Mr. Rabbit, should I congratulate you on nearly breaking free from Mu Se’s control? Your ritual preparation should have reached its conclusion, right?”
As he spoke, a lingering cicada’s chirp mixed in his voice echoed in the empty warehouse, monotonous, repetitive, and noisy, making it irritating to the ears yet compelling to listen further.
“Thanks to you, I’ve had quite a thrill, but…” Mr. Rabbit chuckled oddly, “there was a small issue. My last target has caught the attention of the Siye Society; I’m worried…”
“Worried that they’ll follow the clues from that person back to you, and want me to help you eliminate them?”
“Exactly! I even suspect they’ve already approached that person and are now waiting for me to take the bait!”
“Haha!” The man chuckled, raised two fingers, and said, “Twenty portions of Primordial Spirit.”
“Are you crazy?” Mr. Rabbit’s demeanor turned fierce, his lips parting to reveal a mouthful of sharp teeth as he growled, “Twenty portions of Primordial Spirit means the souls of twenty potential spirit energy wielders! If I had that many, I would have advanced long ago! I wouldn’t need to be afraid of those big and small cats in the Siye Society anymore!”
“But you’re still scared, aren’t you? Moreover, I didn’t say you had to pay right away; we always accept installment payments. After you advance, you just need to pay on time and in full.”
“You know we never cheat anyone. When you were searching for the Witch’s Egg, didn’t we cooperate quite harmoniously?”
“Twenty portions of Primordial Spirit, and I guarantee I’ll help you awaken the Witch’s Egg, and you’ll successfully advance.”
Faced with such an enticing deal, Mr. Rabbit seemed to ponder, and after a moment of silence, a response came from the darkness.
“Alright…”
