Nine District, Central City.
Tie Shu, with his towering figure hunched over, walked into a reception room.
His short-sleeved shirt with full arm tattoos seemed out of place with the low-key luxurious decor of the room.
He looked at the composed man behind the desk in the center of the room, lowered his posture again, and said with his head down:
“Your Excellency, the Stationed Army personnel have basically been cleared out. Crazy Rat’s people have also retreated to Black Alley.”
The Nine District’s Executive didn’t look up, only nodding slightly:
“Crazy Rat, on the surface, has been ‘eliminated’ by the Security Bureau. After you all return, change your name.”
“Uh, Your Excellency… what name would be better?” Tie Shu regretted it as soon as he asked. Such a small matter shouldn’t bother the Executive.
The Nine District’s Executive slowly looked up, pondered for two seconds, and said:
“Let’s call it… 【Black King Snake】. It retains the characteristics of the Black Snake but surpasses it. This way, it will also be easier for you to continue dealing with the harbor side.”
Tie Shu was stunned for a moment, then lowered his head and replied:
“Understood, Your Excellency.”
The Executive said nothing more, continuing to rustle through files.
Tie Shu hesitated for a while, then asked:
“Your Excellency… regarding that 【Immigration Settlement】 draft…”
“It will pass,” the Executive said. “Even if you didn’t complete tonight’s task, we would still pass it.”
Tie Shu was stunned:
“Why?”
The Executive slowly looked up, his eyes behind his glasses showing little ripple:
“Because war requires consumables.”
Tie Shu was momentarily frozen, a strange sense of sorrow in his heart.
The things he had tried so hard to change, in the end, the key deciding factor was not his effort or sacrifice, but merely because those above happened to need it at this moment.
“By the way, how is Zacro doing now?” the Executive inquired.
“He… died, at the hands of a remaining member of Black Snake,” Tie Shu answered stiffly.
The Executive nodded:
“This outcome is good, it saves us the trouble of dealing with him. You may go back. From now on, the underground affairs of the Nine District will gradually fall under your management.”
“Understood, Your Excellency.”
Tie Shu, with his head down and in silence, slowly left the meeting room.
.......
North Street, Miling Agency.
The torrential rain outside the window gradually ceased.
Li Andy, after returning and washing up, lay alone on his bed.
He was mentally exhausted, yet found it hard to fall asleep.
The chaotic spiritual energy within him occasionally escaped, darting around the room.
Curtains twisted without wind, drawers pulled themselves open, candles flickered on and off… various objects seemed haunted, spasming erratically.
“Sigh…”
Li Andy sighed wearily.
He now fully understood what it felt like when those who borrowed items lost control.
If not for the shadow’s characteristic and the Clockwork Heart’s soul-stabilizing effect, his soul would probably be floating around with that spiritual energy right now.
It seems he must continue to consume more relics.
Devouring relics could enlarge the shadow and enhance its suppressive power over various anomalies.
But relics couldn’t be consumed indiscriminately.
They had to be consumed in a specific order and according to need, like precisely controlled medicine.
“Translator's Earring… I’ll have Youxi start preparing it tomorrow…”
Just as Li Andy was about to forcefully recall the spiritual energy in the room, he saw the door creak open by itself.
After Youxi and Sophia walked in, it creaked shut and locked itself automatically.
It was very sensible and discreet.
The two walked closer barefoot, their light, thin dresses cool on their upper bodies, like glutinous rice paper.
Youxi’s face was slightly flushed, and she smiled as she came to his side and whispered softly:
“Brother, this time, let us help you stabilize; you don’t have to move.”
“Yes, you… don’t move!”
Sophia tightened her small face, suppressing a laugh, swallowed, her eyes shining with a peculiar light, seemingly looking forward to the reversal of their usual positions.
‘Please, I’m not as stable as you two…’
Li Andy smiled, but didn’t refuse.
Pleasure for the body and mind indeed helped with the recovery and stability of one’s spirit and sanity.
As for the escaped spiritual energy… forget it, he’d deal with them tomorrow.
Li Andy slowly closed his eyes, relaxing his body and mind, entrusting them to the two women, and then… peacefully enjoying.
At this moment, the rain outside had stopped, and raindrops, moistening the glass reflection, slowly slid down.
.....
.....
The next day, the sun rose as usual.
No matter how strong the wind and rain were yesterday, life continued.
Susan woke up early. Seeing that Li Andy and the two women’s doors were tightly shut, she left a thank-you letter and then, with Quack Charlie, left the agency.
She hurried back to the agency, but it was rare to see her colleagues arrive even earlier than her.
She walked with confusion into the rearmost office and saw the Fat Chief, who had also arrived early.
“Oh? You’re not dead, that’s good, take this.”
The Fat Chief threw a badge over.
“The Stationed Army is gone as of last night, so our Security Bureau will take over their garrison duties from now on. Our funding has increased, and I’ve given you a promotion.”
Susan frowned, looking at the badge that represented the 【Investigation Team Leader】, her thoughts churning. She wasn’t foolish and naturally realized the various oddities.
She looked at the Fat Chief with some disbelief and questioned:
“What is the actual relationship between the Security Bureau and Crazy Rat?”
The Fat Chief frowned in displeasure:
“What kind of nonsense are you spouting?! Of course, we are enemies! Crazy Rat has already been annihilated by us, and there will be no more rats in Black Alley from now on!”
Susan was speechless, the hand holding the badge trembling slightly.
The Fat Chief became uncomfortable under her gaze and finally let out a long sigh: “In short, don’t worry about so much. The current outcome is good for most people.”
“Then how exactly did my father die?” Susan stared intently into the Fat Chief’s eyes.
The Fat Chief, helpless, slumped back into his seat:
“Your old man died trying to prevent conflict between Black Alley and the Stationed Army back then. The Stationed Army at that time could easily crush everyone in that old alley. So, this outcome is also good for you.”
Susan was stunned, staring blankly at the badge in her hand, the same as her father’s, completely unprepared for such an answer.
......
Noon, a place on the outskirts of Black Alley.
Next to Manla’s grave mound, two more small mounds appeared.
Charlie, sweating profusely from exhaustion, threw down his shovel and sat on the ground.
Three children he had called to help, seeing him stop, simply threw their shovels aside and lazily sat down to chat.
“Hey, Uncle Quack, did you hear?”
One of the children said,
“Those upper-city lords decided that people from Black Alley with clean backgrounds can move to North Street. They say that in the future, they can even move to East Street, or even the Central City! The supplies there are said to be much more abundant, Uncle, are you going?”
Charlie frowned:
“I’m not clean, whoever wants to go, go!”
The three children immediately pulled long faces.
They really hoped Charlie would go, and preferably… take them along with him.
“By the way, Uncle Charlie, are these three people your family?” the youngest child asked.
“Pah, they don’t deserve to be!” Charlie responded angrily.
“Then who are they?”
Charlie was silent for a few seconds, then sighed softly:
“Just three… helpless unfortunates.”
The three children exchanged glances, and without needing to say anything, they got up and continued working.
“Uncle Charlie, what are you going to plant by their graves?”
“Flowers.”
“What kind of flowers?”
“Sunflowers.”