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墨書 Inktalez
Zhong Kui's Diary
Although Xiao Qingcheng's last words were spoken lightly, they struck me like thunder. Yes, the beauty from Tongtong Toy Store was involved, and Liu Xingyu had lost one of the Six Masks, which included the Snoopy Mask. If Snoopy is one of these Six Masks, then where did the other five Masks go?
Moreover, Sun Jianxin was present at the scene of the incident. Could it be that he casually took one of the Masks? I quickly dismissed this thought; it was impossible. For a professor like him, such a disgraceful act would be out of the question.
Could it be possible that after the Six Masks rolled out of the vehicle, they sought out someone to possess, and the Snoopy Mask ended up possessing Sun Jianxin? Damn it, what about the remaining five Masks? Who are they possessing?
Thinking of this made cold sweat break out on my forehead. Damn, I was also there; could it be that I was possessed too?
“Qingcheng, can you check if I have been possessed by a Mask?” In my panic, I grabbed Xiao Qingcheng's hand and placed it on my forehead.
“Hey, what are you doing?” Xiao Qingcheng laughed as she pulled her hand back.
“I was there too!” I expressed my concern.
“Why are you worrying about nothing? You have a Yin-Yang Physique; what kind of ghost could possess you?” Xiao Qingcheng laughed.
Oh right, I've been a high-level practitioner for such a short time that I often forget I'm special, especially being a once-in-a-thousand-years talent.
Even so, I still felt uneasy and insisted that Xiao Qingcheng give me a full-body check-up. With no other choice, she took out her Peach Wood Sword, unfurled it against the wind, and then jabbed it hard into my stomach. A sharp pain shot through me, and I couldn't help but shout, “Qingcheng, what do you mean by this?”
“You know pain means no ghost is possessing you!” Xiao Qingcheng fiercely gestured with her sword at me. “If you still don't believe me, I'll keep poking you until you do.”
“Alright, I believe you.” However, in my heart, I was thinking that this girl was clearly just brushing me off; I should go ask Kong Xuan instead.
“What should we do next?” Xiao Qingcheng put away her wooden sword and asked Lingfeng. She had come to Star City to assist Lingfeng and would follow his lead in everything.
"I think the most important thing right now is to find the whereabouts of the remaining five Masks. If they are like Sun Jianxin, then these Masks are likely possessed by people present at the scene. Zheng Nan, do you remember who was there at that time?" Lingfeng stood up and threw the papers on the table into the shredder.
"Let me think. You should know Director Li and the four police officers, right?" I counted on my fingers while looking at Lingfeng. After he nodded, I continued, "I also remember Snow Aunt being there..."
"Snow Aunt was there too?" Lingfeng asked in surprise. He had gotten Fatty's Imperial Club membership card through Snow Aunt, so he naturally knew her.
"There was also a taxi driver; I don't know his name or which taxi company he worked for." I thought for a moment. "This driver had a Square-Faced appearance..."
Lingfeng laughed and said, "That's not a problem. There are six taxi companies in Star City, and they all have call centers. We can ask them to issue an announcement in their system, and the driver who picked Liu Xingyu up on Riverside Avenue will come forward to assist with the investigation. It shouldn't be hard to find him."
"And there was a butcher; I'll take responsibility for that." I remembered this butcher particularly well because he had provoked Sun Jianxin when passing by Liu Xi Agricultural Trade Market.
"The butcher? Is he your brother?" Lingfeng asked uncertainly.
"Haha, no, he's not selling that kind of meat; he's selling real meat. Uh, I think it's all real meat... I mean, it's meat that can be eaten, not meat that can eat you. Ugh, why can't I explain this clearly!" I kept digging myself deeper.
"Understood, understood. Is there anyone else?" Lingfeng smiled.
"There were only a few people close by at that time; the rest were watching from a distance. I have no impression of them at all. To find them, you'll need to take charge," I said with a smile. "You could offer a reward for witnesses or something; who knows, they might all rush to the police station."
Lingfeng then assigned investigation tasks: I would look for Snow Aunt and the butcher while he and Xiao Qingcheng would observe Director Li and the taxi driver among others. Originally, Lingfeng wanted Xiao Qingcheng to accompany me, but I laughed and refused: "I'll go find Kong Xuan; it's better for Xiao Qingcheng to stay with you just in case Director Li is also controlled by a Mask—then you'd be in danger."
Looking at the time, it was almost mealtime. I called Guo'er, Aijia Yu, and Fatty, and we headed to a familiar private restaurant to treat Guo'er and the others.
After dinner, we each went home. Fatty followed me because his air conditioning was broken and he wanted to cool off at my place. The first thing he did when we got home was open my fridge for beer and complain about the lack of watermelon.
"I’m home alone, why would I have the mood to buy a watermelon?" I scoffed. "You know I'm at my place, yet you didn't think to bring one? Did your emotional intelligence fall into a ditch? Or do you need to recharge it?"
"Breast/ditch! Fell into the breast/ditch!" Fatty chuckled, handing me a can of beer and sitting beside me to watch as I messaged Guo'er.
"Are you home?" I typed three words.
"Just got back, about to take a shower. What do you want?" Guo'er quickly replied.
Fatty saw this and laughed mischievously. I looked at him in confusion, not understanding what was so funny. "What are you laughing at? What's so amusing about this?"
Fatty said with a grin, "Just reply with one word: 'Want!'"
I was stunned for a while before I understood the reason behind Fatty's lewd smile, and I couldn't help but feel both amused and exasperated. What on earth was going on in that guy's head?
I pushed Fatty away and chatted with Guo'er for a bit before taking a shower and going to bed.
The next morning, according to my plan, I had to find Kong Xuan first. After all, the matter with Mask was too strange, and having someone who understood demons around would greatly increase our safety. Fatty completely agreed; he wasn't Yin-Yang Physique, and if he encountered a demon, he would either die or at least get hurt badly.
I called a taxi and headed straight to Qifeng Temple, only to find that it wasn't open yet. A sign at the entrance read: "Business Hours: 9 AM - 9 PM." Calling Kong Xuan's phone also resulted in it being turned off. Fatty and I exchanged glances, unsure of what to do next.
Looking at the time, it was only 8:30 AM. Since we weren't familiar with the area, we wandered around until we finally found a breakfast shop in an alley and each ordered a bowl of noodles.
At the next table sat two energetic young men whose voices were quite loud.
"Brother Zeng, I have a friend who wants to hang out with us!" The young man speaking had a few pimples on his face, but they didn't detract from his vibrant appearance; instead, they made him look even more lively.
“Sanitary Napkin, it's not just you; if you're hanging out with us, you need to have some loyalty. I don't want anyone who lacks loyalty!” The young man called Brother Zeng had an imposing demeanor, and on his sharply defined face was a scar over an inch long.
“No, no, this friend is an artist! He values his reputation greatly; he absolutely wouldn't do anything disloyal,” the young man referred to as ‘Sanitary Napkin’ hurriedly replied.
“Oh? An artist? What kind of art?”
“Wrought Iron?”
Both Fatty and I were taken aback, unable to suppress our laughter. Seriously? Isn’t that just welding iron gates and railings? How is that considered art? You guys are going to ruin art eventually.
Brother Zeng also laughed heartily, turning his head to look over. As he smiled, the scar on his face resembled a slanted willow leaf; it was not only unattractive but also added a certain masculine charm.
What a man, I couldn't help but admire him inwardly.
“Boss! Are you there?” A loud voice suddenly came from outside the door. Three muscular men stood at the entrance, and the one speaking had a bushy beard.
“Yes, yes! Wei Ge! What brings you here so early?” The breakfast shop owner rushed out to greet him with a bow.
“Cut the pleasantries; where's my management fee from yesterday?” The bearded man extended his hand. “Hurry up; I don’t have time to waste!”
“But… but…” The breakfast shop owner glanced at Brother Zeng and Sanitary Napkin beside him.
“But what the hell!” The bearded man stepped forward and shoved the owner hard. The owner immediately fell to the ground.
“Where are you guys from?” Brother Zeng slammed his chopsticks down and walked over to help the owner up.
"Who are you?" the bearded man squinted at Brother Zeng.
"I'm just Zeng Xian! The area of Qinghu District and Haitang Road is under my jurisdiction!" Zeng Xian gestured for the Sanitary Napkin to help the boss aside.
"Oh, so you're the popular candidate for the next general manager of Qinghu District, Zeng Xian!" The bearded man chuckled, "You should focus on competing for your position in Qinghu District; Haitang Road will soon be managed by us, River Gang!"
Fatty and I exchanged surprised glances. We were well aware of the divisions in Star City's underworld. Yuhua District, Qinghu District, and Qingxiu District, along with Chaoyang District, all fell under Tang the Elder's influence, while River District had been taken over by someone named Jiang Chengguang when it was first developed. This person was quite an anomaly, managing to seize a piece of territory right from under Tang the Elder's nose, indicating significant backing.
Jiang Chengguang was very low-key, tending to his barren plot of land without discussing expansion or struggles, presenting himself like a legitimate businessman. To return to the point, in Star City today, the top government official is referred to as the boss or leader, while gangsters commonly refer to their leaders as 'the general.' For example, the leader of Yuhua District, Shao Wanli, is addressed as Mr. Shao by his subordinates, and his business cards read 'General Manager of Star City Yuhua District Peace Development Co., Ltd.'
Getting a bit off track here, Haitang Road is located right at the junction of River District and Qinghu District and has always been under Qinghu District's jurisdiction. Now River Gang is reaching out for it; there must have been a significant change.
Zeng Xian could be considered one of Tang the Elder's subordinates. Although I had no direct dealings with the Tang family, we were acquaintances. If any disputes arose, I could lend a hand if needed. I exchanged glances with Fatty; he also knew Tang Zian and nodded in understanding of my intentions.
"You River Gang are reaching too far," Zeng Xian said defiantly in front of the three muscular men.
"Heh heh, our reach will only extend further!" The bearded man chuckled again, "Huang Lao has passed away; what does your Tang family have left to rely on?"
What? Huang Lao has passed away?
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