"Ding-a-ling...."
The wind from the opening door jingled the wind chimes.
Old Du Lin sat in a chair, his face full of worry.
"What, got squeezed by the landlady again?"
Li Andy casually sat down at the counter, teasing him.
Old Du Lin glanced at him, then looked at Susan:
"Kid, next time you bring her over, remember to change her clothes. A peacekeeper's uniform is quite an eyesore around here."
Susan frowned, about to speak.
But Li Andy interrupted her:
"Miss Susan, please wait over there for a moment. The shop owner and I need to discuss some confidential matters."
Susan paused, then, without complaint, obediently sat on a distant sofa, closed her eyes to rest, and did not eavesdrop.
Qualities like integrity and justice were fully displayed in her.
Old Du Lin couldn't help but sneer:
"This foolish girl, is she the one Lamb mentioned?"
Li Andy nodded:
"Yes, but she's stubborn, not foolish."
"Here, the results of the last investigation you commissioned."
Li Andy handed him a small notebook.
It recorded the appearance and characteristics of the Lucky Coin, as well as the fact that Black Alley had five holders.
However, besides Manba and Zacro, Li Andy concealed the other three lucky individuals, not writing down their detailed names and identities.
After all, the commission initially only asked for an investigation into the cause of the luck.
Additional information would require additional fees.
"A coin that bestows luck... at the cost of others' misfortune..."
Old Du Lin pinched his chin, his expression somewhat serious.
"Have you heard of this thing before?" Li Andy inquired.
Old Du Lin shook his head:
"I only know of two relics that can change fortune, both sealed at the bottom of the Grand Cathedral by the Empire. Looking at your description of the coin's appearance, its template style is not old, it's quite new, very much like something artificially made."
Li Andy raised an eyebrow:
"You know how to make relics?"
"How could I?"
Old Du Lin sneered, "If I knew, would I be here? Those old geezers from the Alchemist Guild would be worshipping me. I just feel that this mysterious characteristic is too deliberate and unnatural."
Li Andy remained silent, his internal rating of the cult rising slightly.
"Oh, by the way, let me tell you something."
Old Du Lin continued,
"That Zacro is not an ordinary person.
"He is now the leader of Tie Shu, and Tie Shu is now... also called Crazy Rat.
"This commission was originally issued by them. If you choose to complete the commission, then this information will be passed on to Zacro.
"I think he might ask you for information on the other few people later. Are you sure you want to complete this commission?"
Li Andy shrugged:
"I've already finished the job, and you're telling me this now. The commission is complete, hurry up and pay. If they want information on other people, they'll have to pay extra. I'll set the price."
Old Du Lin smiled, seeming quite satisfied with his decision.
Li Andy raised an eyebrow, unable to fathom Old Du Lin's attitude and relationship with Crazy Rat.
"That's enough about the commission for now, do you have anything else?"
"I'm looking for someone who just hid in Black Alley."
"Looking for someone?"
Old Du Lin paused, then, after hearing Li Andy's description, suggested,
"If you're looking for someone, you can go to the moles, the beggars and the street girls, they basically manage them all. The address is here, you can go negotiate yourself."
Li Andy looked at the map location Old Du Lin pointed to, and couldn't help but frown.
The target area was Black Alley's red-light district.
...
The scene shifted.
Li Andy and Susan, who had covered her uniform with a jacket, arrived at the designated place.
The air here was exceptionally sweet and cloying, with the scent of rouge and alcohol mingling with various other odors.
The mole's people were easier to talk to than expected.
As long as... you paid them.
In front of them, a heavily made-up, alluring man, twisting a cigarette, smiled and said:
"Oh, that client you mentioned, we remember him. He's very generous. Not long ago, he took three girls at once."
Susan's brows immediately furrowed, and she hastily asked for the direction the person had left.
The alluring man frowned, but for the sake of the money, he still pointed in a general direction.
Susan didn't wait for Li Andy and immediately chased after him.
The alluring man tucked the money into his pocket, watched the two walk away, and shook his head in boredom:
"Another group of heartless people. This world is full of false pain. Only pleasure is true salvation and liberation..."
With that, he intoxicatedly took a deep drag from the medicated cigarette between his fingers, his eyes becoming hazy and unfocused, his body leaning against the wall, swaying like a soulless automaton.
Susan, relying on her many years of tracking experience, indeed found three fresh corpses of street girls in a garbage heap.
Their faces were peeled, their throats had obvious bloodied cuts, and their wide-open eyes still held remnants of terror.
"Bastard!"
Susan slammed her fist against the wall.
She looked at the various traces on the ground, took a few deep breaths, and continued the pursuit.
....
Meanwhile, on the other side.
Street girl Lisa and the young Manba had just buried their sister in the abandoned old industrial area on the east side.
"My condolences."
Lisa looked at the young man kneeling before the mound of earth and offered words of comfort.
"Do you... have that kind of smoke?"
The young Manba's voice was hoarse and lacked spirit.
Since that narrow escape from death, Lisa found that she could vaguely sense "fortune."
The young man's fortune in front of her was slowly declining.
Perhaps it wouldn't be long before the coin would land on its reverse side.
"Don't touch that stuff! Smoking that kind of thing is running away!"
Lisa frowned sternly; without heavy makeup, she possessed a special kind of clear beauty.
Manba looked at her face, his heart trembling involuntarily.
His sister was also such a person.
Even when she was very unlucky, she still smiled at the world, and even when she was bruised and battered, she would comfort him first.
They were like dandelions, drifting with the wind, yet still holding onto hope.
Manba sniffled, vigorously wiped away his remaining tears, and showed a tired but relieved smile:
"I understand... Thank you... Thank you..."
Lisa also smiled with relief, just about to say "Let's go home," when a chilling laugh came from behind her.
"Hehehe ha..."
A man, half-covered in blood, holding a butcher's knife, emerged from the shadows.
"Oh, look, it seems my luck is better. I just casually escaped and ran into you two."
Lisa's hair stood on end. She turned around in a panic, but accidentally twisted her ankle. The piercing pain shot straight to her brain.
It was him!
That Raincoat Man!!
Lisa scrambled backward in terror, the world in her eyes visibly changing.
That man's fortune was even stronger!
The shadow behind him was as thick as blood mist!
"Oh? I know you, lucky little snake..."
The Raincoat Man grinned, looking at Manba and saying eerily,
"I didn't expect you to decline so much in just a few days."
"If I had known back then, I wouldn't have dared to get close to you at all!"
As he spoke, he pulled out the coin under the young Manba's bewildered and wary gaze.
"Ding--!"
Heads... Heads... Still Heads!!
His fortune overpowered theirs!