The rain was about to stop.
Lisa shivered, pushing open the door of a shop.
This was a pharmacy, but most of what it sold was fake medicine.
Anyone who had bought abortion pills knew this place, and most street girls knew it too.
The owner was originally a drug peddler, but at some point, he gained the favor of the Emerging gangs Black Snake and became a renowned Quack in Black Alley.
The owner was a miser; if you had some looks, it wasn't impossible to use your body as collateral.
Lisa took a deep breath and walked past the long corridor.
Here, many people seeking medicine crouched, and most of them eyed her with ill intentions.
But Lisa didn't dare to go home now.
She was afraid that as soon as she opened the door at home, she would see that Raincoat Man sitting in her wardrobe, holding a knife, grinning at her.
This was Black Snake's territory, with so many people, surely that murderer would be a little wary?
Thinking of this, the malicious gazes around her gradually became less stinging, and instead gave her a strange sense of security.
"Charlie, you Quack!"
Lisa reached the end of the corridor, only to find a white-haired, dark-skinned young man grabbing the owner's collar.
"My sister took your medicine and kept complaining of stomach pain, and after she fell asleep, she never woke up again!"
"You killed her!!!"
The young man's eyes were bloodshot and wide, and tears of sorrow streamed down uncontrollably.
The owner's eyes flashed with a hint of panic and guilt, but he gritted his teeth and, spitting, roared back fearlessly:
"She just couldn't make it!"
"If you had money, why didn't you go to those doctors in the upper class!"
"It wasn't me who killed her! It was you, the useless one!"
"She was poor to death! Poor to death! Do you understand?!"
Every word pierced the heart, every sentence cut deep.
The young man's grip gradually lost strength.
He held his head and slowly knelt to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably, crying heartbrokenly.
If only... his lucky ability had come sooner?
Lisa's gaze was slightly moved, but only for a few seconds.
After all, Black Alley never lacked tragedies.
After seeing too many, people gradually become numb.
Through the whispers of the people around her, she finally learned the identity of the dark-skinned, white-haired young man—Manba.
A rising star of the Black Snake gang, known as "Resilient Little Snake" and "Lucky Little Snake."
Hearing the word "lucky," Lisa's heart inexplicably twinged.
She observed carefully and found a metallic sheen peeking through the gaps in the young man's tightly clenched fist.
It seemed... he was really clutching a coin.
Suddenly, the Raincoat Man's voice echoed in her mind.
"Luck needs tragedy to set it off."
"The face of a coin also requires the pouring of pain."
"We, these hypocritical lucky ones, ultimately have only one fated person."
"Hey, are you here for a consultation or to buy medicine?"
The owner, Charlie, frowned at the soaking wet street girl, Lisa.
"I... I want some cold medicine."
"500 pennies, no bargaining."
"Can... can I pre-pay with my body?"
"Hmph, get lost!"
Charlie now had no interest in the downtrodden Lisa.
He was now a renowned Quack in Black Alley; if he wanted, he could even taste a freshly matured virgin.
Lisa awkwardly wiped the smeared powder from her face, her eyes rolling, her gaze occasionally falling on the crying young Manba, wondering what she was thinking.
… …
… …
Black Alley, North Street District, Shell Market.
"Pah!"
Zacro emerged from the underground shell market and spat irritably at the dark wall.
His behavior wasn't because he had lost money.
It was just because he had won less than usual.
"Tsk, my luck doesn't seem as good..."
He leaned against the wall, took a swig of wine, pulled a coin from his pocket, and flicked it into the air.
Heads... heads... still heads.
His luck hadn't failed.
"Could it be that luck also has an amount?"
"Like wine in a bottle? The more you drink, the less there is?"
Zacro frowned in thought, staring intently at the coin.
"Then how do I replenish it? How do I fill it up?"
Under the influence of alcohol, Zacro stared at the coin for so long that he began to see double and feel dizzy.
He swayed, clutching his heavy head.
A faint, seductive whisper, like a flying insect, seized the opportunity to burrow into his ear.
"Luck is set off by tragedy, luck originates from misfortune..."
"Who's speaking?!"
Zacro suddenly woke up, scanning his surroundings vigilantly.
But in the entire dark alley, only his figure swayed.
Could it be that the coin was talking??
Zacro thought for a while and decided to confirm his inner guess.
He threw away the wine bottle and staggered to another alley.
Here, there were many beggars.
He picked out the scrawniest-looking little beggar and tossed a 50-penny coin to him:
"Hey, a reward for you!"
The little beggar's numb eyes instantly lit up, and he snatched the coin:
"Thank you! Thank you, sir!"
"Heh, may you always have good luck."
Zacro sneered and turned to leave the alley entrance.
Not long after his back disappeared, the beggars who had witnessed the money being thrown, like starving Ghouls, all pounced on that little beggar!
Screams immediately erupted in the alley.
Those fifty pennies were like breadcrumbs thrown into a pile of venomous insects, causing a frantic scramble.
The little beggar who had initially received the coin was even trampled, his eyeballs crushed out.
Ten minutes later, Zacro returned to the alley.
By then, the ground was a gruesome mix of blood and mud.
The only one alive was a larger beggar.
Zacro approached the beggar and couldn't help but frown.
Based on his past experience, fifty pennies would at most lead to a few people fighting and breaking limbs.
Did unseen misfortune amplify the tragedy?
Or did he take away their luck?
"Heh heh, sir, good..."
The beggar clutched the penny coin and smiled fawningly at him, his teeth seemingly having fallen out from the struggle.
Zacro frowned.
"Luck?"
"No, it's power!"
In the beggar's terrified gaze, he raised his foot and stomped down!
"Squish—"
......
"Gah—!"
Susan suddenly sat up.
This... where was this?
She found herself lying on a comfortable bed.
Outside the window, the sun was shining brightly.
Her wet, torn gown had also been replaced with soft pajamas.
"Miss Susan, you're awake?"
The door quietly pushed open, and a pretty girl with black-to-white hair entered, holding a bowl of hot soup.
Was it his sister?
Susan was stunned.
Was I... at the Mi Ling Detective Agency?