The Special Affairs Department office was silent.
"Gone?"
Ai Qing, seated in a wheelchair, looked at the sweating man behind the desk, "Two perfectly good people, and you're telling me they're gone?"
"Can't help it, we only captured a few side shots of them through street surveillance, all wearing masks, so it's hard to tell where exactly they came from. As for this photo..."
The man glanced at the photo on the desk of the criminal tied to a chair, feeling an increasing headache as he pointed to the areas of the nose and cheekbones, "There are obvious signs of plastic surgery here, and it's recent too, so it's probably not going to be easy to find them."
"If the world had so many easy things to do, peace would've reigned long ago."
Ai Qing was completely unimpressed with such a brainless excuse and pointed to the plastic bag on the desk containing white powder, "How about this then? Any new leads?"
"Uh..." The man hesitated, looking like he had more to say but couldn't find the words.
"Is that so?" Ai Qing appeared disappointed, "If Xinhai's power is insufficient, then I can only report it to the Astronomical Society..."
But then, if the lid were to be lifted at that time, the appearance of something rather unpleasant would indeed be somewhat unpleasant.
"Cough cough cough, no, that's not what I meant." The clearly unfortunate scapegoat hurriedly waved his hands, not daring to haggle at all, "It's not that we aren't cooperating, but this unconventional hallucinogenic drug mixed with Source Substance is just too common; we simply can't trace its origins..."
"Hmm?" Ai Qing frowned.
"The part that affects humans mainly comes from those Source Substances, but too many Border Relics can produce this stuff, and the composition is too easy to change. Just the varieties that have circulated on the market have several dozen recorded, and if we could access the banned drugs database of the Astronomical Society, there might even be tens of thousands."
In the end, the abilities of the Sublimators and those Hellish products are just too unpredictable; we really are powerless against this."
The sweating man had already fully admitted defeat.
"If you're not up to the task, why bother holding everyone else back?" Ai Qing withdrew her gaze, filled with disappointment, and prepared to leave, and the man sighed in relief.
But just as she was pushing the door open, Ai Qing turned her head back and suddenly asked, "Since there's so much you're powerless against, when there's a time when you are needed, you surely won't decline, right?"
"...Yes, that's correct."
The man behind the desk was stunned for a moment then, cursing those who were incompetent and occupied positions they didn't deserve internally, begrudgingly managed a smile, "We will definitely cooperate fully."
"That's very good."
The door closed.
.
.
"Music!"
In the dimly lit private room, the sofa cradled two figures, whispering sweet nothings to each other, with one person raising a hand and snapping their fingers.
Therefore, in the corner, an expressionless Huai Shi numbly began to play the violin.
In his backpack, the emotionless Book of Fate wrote down a record: first day of working with Liu DongLi, he made me play the violin for him—I've noted this grudge.
Indeed, it was Huai Shi's first day moonlighting as a Cowherd.
For the sake of survival, he had degraded from an elegant Cellist to Liu DongLi's personal BGM player. To make a debut as a group, one selling their body, the other their artistry, perming three curls into his hair, wearing a V-neck jacket to become the Cowherd superstar seemed just around the corner... as if!
Everyone else was a personal bodyguard, so why had it turned into him sticking to a bodyguard?
To sleep in the same house was one thing, but even going to work together too! Really?
If it wasn't for the life-threatening risks and Ai Qing's daily payment of eight hundred yuan, he would have abandoned this gig long ago.
Until this matter was resolved, it seemed he was destined to be tied to this Cowherd.
Huai Shi's requirements weren't high: he would take the blame, Liu DongLi would face death.
Once this business was settled, they would go their separate ways as if nothing had happened. No entanglements for the rest of their lives—that would be best.
After he managed to get rid of that damn Raven as well, he'd be able to start his life anew, climb to the pinnacle of life with his finally activated golden finger, marry a rich beauty, fulfill his dream of breaking numerous cash-counting machines from counting too much money and become famous enough that even death would turn him into a beautiful Teenage Girl in the gacha...
Lost in impractical fantasies, his keen hearing suddenly caught the suppressed crying from the sofa.
In the midst of alcohol and the mournful cello, the woman leaning in Liu DongLi's arms couldn't help but give in to her sorrow and sobbed out, grasping Liu DongLi's hand:
"In my heart, always, I've thought of you as my son... I'm sorry for keeping this from you. If my son were still here, he surely would be as old as you by now..."
Amid Huai Shi's barely suppressed snickers, Liu DongLi's professional smile became strained.
Finally, when he managed to send the client away and came back, he was met with Huai Shi's mocking expression.
"Eh—"
Huai Shi observed him and exclaimed sincerely from the heart, "Could this be the legendary flavor of being a Cowherd?"
"Flavor my ass!" Liu DongLi rolled his eyes, "The smell of privet flowers is more like it! I've slept with so many clients, only to become somebody's son!"
"Tsk tsk, isn't this the time for you to express your sentiment about comforting lonely women, bringing them warmth, and so on? Then I could seriously reconsider my view on the profession of Cowherds..."
"I suspect there's something wrong with you," Liu DongLi gave him a sidelong glance and tapped his head, "No matter how nice one speaks of it, a Cowherd is just responsible for selling laughter and their body, where's all that glorified stuff?"
"But I see you're quite happy with it," Huai Shi paused, looking at him with renewed pity, "Do you have a thing for older ladies?"
"Bullshit!"
Liu DongLi looked at him with contempt, "You think everyone is as broke as you? Back in the day, with this face, I could easily state a number and rake in the cash. In just a few days, I made forty million..."
Huai Shi remained unfazed, "Oh, and then?"
"...Then I got caught," Liu DongLi said dully, "That woman arrested me herself. Afterwards, she said since I liked to con women out of their money with my looks so much, I might as well become a Cowherd. When I pay off all the money I swindled, I'll be free."
Huai Shi was astounded, "And then you really became a Cowherd?"
"Or what? Get sent to the Border? My ability doesn't work on anything other than people, so going there would be a death sentence." Liu DongLi pulled on his cigarette despondently, "The gun was already shoved into your mouth, did you try shaking your head? I was nearly pissing myself, damn it!"
Hearing this, Huai Shi became very curious and leaned in to ask in a low voice, "Didn't you use your ability then?"
Liu DongLi's expression grew even more limp, and after a long while, he squeezed out a few words:
"I did, but it was useless."
"So did you use it or not!"
"I did use it, but it was utterly useless."
Liu DongLi shook his head in defeat, "Afterward, I kept thinking: my ability should have worked, I even used ten times the usual amount to escape! While using my ability, she should have fallen madly in love with me uncontrollably...
It's ridiculous, right? Her name is literally Ai Qing, but it turns out that love meant absolutely nothing to her."
"Uh..."
Huai Shi, comparing this with the woman he had seen a few days ago, was somewhat astonished, "Are you sure you're describing a human and not a steel Godzilla?"
In the end, Liu DongLi gave him another look, as if looking at an idiot, "Are you kidding me? She is the top hand of the Astronomical Society in Xinhai, a Reviewer with the authority to make Sublimators kowtow and do her bidding on short notice.
Godzilla doesn't even compare to her. Offend Godzilla, and you just die horribly; offend her, and you end up worse than dead!"
As the two of them were talking, they had already left the club through the back door and were walking on the street, ready to find a place for dinner.
Liu DongLi was treating.
He couldn't stand the plain boiled noodles at Huai Shi's home any longer.
"If I don't eat some meat soon, my abs will start self-digesting..." Liu DongLi flamboyantly patted his stomach, "How about hot pot?"
Huai Shi gave him a sidelong glance and said ominously, "I heard eating too much hot pot gives you a sore butt."
Liu DongLi was stunned for a moment, then quickly caught on to the hidden meaning in the little Wang Ba's words and couldn't help but kick the smarty-pants fiercely.
In the end, still feeling grossed out, they had a quick bowl of noodles and went home. Liu DongLi was also complaining about how tiring it was to walk and clamored to bring his car the next day.
"I say, it's already midnight."
Huai Shi yawned as he walked, "Can't you knock off work earlier? Big brother, I'm seventeen this year and still growing!"
"Really? I think you've developed quite enough, where else are you planning to grow?" Liu DongLi snorted, "Besides, when do Cowherds work during the day? I even skipped the latter part of my shift for you tonight."
While speaking, he rubbed his fingers together, suggesting how much Huai Shi would make going out at night.
Huai Shi's expression turned weird, and after looking back at him for a long while, he suddenly asked,
"Does this count as persuading you to turn over a new leaf?"
"...Get lost!"
While they were shooting the breeze on the road, Huai Shi heard the sound of Flying Birds flapping their wings, and a black Raven landed on the tree ahead, turning its head to look at them.
For some reason, Huai Shi suddenly felt a chill.
At the Raven's suggestion, he abruptly turned his head to look behind him.
At the far end of the quiet Long Street in the suburban area, under the faint light of the dim street lamps, a hunched shadow was silently crouching on a fire hydrant.
The somewhat comical monkey mask slowly lifted.
Indifferent eyes fixed on them.
...Finally, it arrived!
Almost in an instant, Liu DongLi reacted, placing Huai Shi behind him and shoving his handbag into his arms.
His right hand reached into his chest, clenching the weapon in the gun pouch.
Retreating rapidly.
At the same time, a sharp metallic scraping sound erupted from beneath the Ferocious Ape's feet.
Under those slowly gathering claws, the fire hydrant was torn apart as if it were paper. As the shadow suddenly leaped toward them and a violent column of water spouted from the shattered hydrant, Huai Shi stumbled back, looking around in panic, feeling a sense of relief amid the fear: good thing it chose to attack here.
If they had walked a bit further, there would be no street lights... in total darkness, Liu DongLi's Ability would probably be futile.
Before he could react further, the Ferocious Ape's howl broke the Space, and in a blink of an eye, it was already ten steps away.
And Liu DongLi was standing directly under the streetlamp.
He lifted his hand, brushed back the hair from his forehead, and smirked at the Ferocious Ape.
In an instant, some Power that Huai Shi didn't understand was activated, using Liu DongLi's face as a medium, reflecting it in the eyes of the Ferocious Ape.
In the blink of an eye, its movement stiffened, falling from the air.
Unable to move.
Even struggling to breathe.
Liu DongLi didn't dare to be careless, he raised the gun in his hand and pulled the trigger at it fiercely, and amidst the loud bangs, Huai Shi suddenly saw darkness before his eyes.
The street lamp flickered.
He was stunned, turned his head back, and saw the distribution box beside the fire hydrant, now smoking.
Under the vigorous deluge of the water column, sparks and thick smoke crazily erupted, accompanied by the frenzied flickering of the street lamp, and a series of explosive noises.
The street lamp was completely extinguished.
Motherfucker! Just what kind of shoddy work did this city's construction company do!