Middendorffi had been laid back for quite some time since witnessing the farce at Bale's house.
Of course, the hilarity wasn't absent, but Sally took the initiative to report it. She probably thinks that Middendorffi is a critical player in both "Jennifer was tempted to commit suicide" and "Zhou Tianlin fraud", so very consciously to update the progress of things.
Regarding Jennifer's situation, half a month later, the police said they had found the suspect who lured her to commit suicide. However, the specific details were still under investigation and hadn't spoken to the Bale family. As for Zhou Tianlin's side, the Bale family's grandfather had been cheated of half a million by him. Just this half a million Peter handled, it is not good to say that this money is not all to Zhou Tianlin; have to wait for the police to check Zhou Tianlin's account books and water.
Speaking of Peter, the DNA results are out - he's not the Bale family's child!
When Sally said the news, you could tell from the words how happy she was. She'd always talked before about how flighty Peter was, how he didn't take other relatives seriously, how he never called out when confronted by his stepmother, cousins, aunts, etc. If it hadn't been for his dad and grandad protecting him, Peter would probably have been beaten up eight hundred years ago. Now, he was the cheating bastard son of his gambler mum and had no blood ties to the Bale family. He's also an adult, so imagine what's going to happen to him in the future.
Sally also, due to the progress of Peter's happy death, another ten thousand to Middendorffi, said to thank him for the excellent luck; Middendorffi, very clear, he does not have any "plus luck" buff, but he did not say it, only said that this money should be given to Zhang Dao.
After all, Zhang Dao saw the problem with Peter's kinship with the Bale family. His pair of natural eyes could tell that the "blood connection" between Peter and his grandfather was improper, so it was no wonder that the Cloud Hidden Sect favoured him and even characterised his eyes as "true eyes".
Middendorffi was curious about what he saw and asked Zhang Dao, who replied: "In fact, there is no specific line or aura with a colour, just that when he and his grandfather stood together, it looks very out of place. Regardless of how Peter's destiny is against the Bale family, blood relatives shouldn't be at odds with each other to this extent."
Middendorffi still needs to understand, so Eli explains, "It's just a matter of being inspired but not understanding the reasoning and not being able to analyse it. It's like some people who can tell at a glance what's wrong with many things. But if you ask him how he sees it so quickly, he doesn't know, but he has already seen and distinguished it."
He would probably have explained it further in Lupin's shoes, as in, "You see it, and you think you don't remember it; in fact, the brain already has an impression of it, so it may be able to elicit it." But Eli certainly hasn't studied the brain, so that part is out of the question. Even so, Middendorffi probably understood Eli's explanation: that Zhang Dao could indeed "identify relatives with the naked eye".
Zhang Dao also said that he is usually too lazy to care about these things, and when he sees them, he also pretends not to see them. If it weren't for Peter and Zhou Tianlin hanging out together and being so rude, he wouldn't have given the other side a little "shock from the real Cloud Hidden Sect".
After he revealed this "shocking melon" to the Bale family, they were shocked but still knew how to be courteous. Therefore, the Bale family provided the thanks given to Zhang Dao. Although Sally didn't say the exact amount, it sounds like it should be a lot more than 10,000 yuan.
Oh yes, Middendorffi's "brokerage fee" for helping Zhang Dao contact the Bale family has not been seen by Middendorffi until now.
Eli said he was responsible for it, so Middendorffi didn't ask. No matter how much, Middendorffi is okay with what Eli takes. It was just that Middendorffi was a little curious about what the Green Mountain Cloud Hidden Sect was really like and what it would give, so he still remembered it.
Right after Middendorffi took Sally's ten thousand thanks and split it in half to call Eli, Eli took the initiative to bring up this matter.
He sent a message to Middendorffi on the social software: [The intermediary fee that Cloud Hidden Sect owes you is also arriving soon, and I'll give it to you once I get it].
Middendorffi also messages him: [What is it?]
Eli: [Keep it a secret for now.]
Middendorffi: [Why do you want to keep it a secret?]
Eli: [Because I think you're happier.]]
Middendorffi sits on the sofa, looking speechlessly at the screen of his mobile phone for a while, and then looks up and around the living room.
It was dark outside the window, and he was alone in the house and awfully quiet. Middendorffi had never been alone in the house for so long since Eli had shown up. Now that he was suddenly left alone again, he was slightly uncomfortable.
Finally, Middendorffi once again typed: [You're not back yet. Did you go to ask for this agency fee?
Eli also replied dryly: [Yes. I may not be home tonight, but I'll be back tomorrow. I was hoping you wouldn't go out; I've put something in the house to keep you safe].
Middendorffi saw this and finally couldn't help but call directly.
Eli answered it quite quickly, his voice still light and steady, "Bear?"
"You're not coming back. Are you going to the Cloud Hidden Sect?" Middendorffi didn't hide anything and asked right to the point, "Why did you have to go and get it yourself when Zhang Dao was supposed to give it to you?"
"Because I wanted to exchange it for something you like better. It just so happens that Zhang Dao said that someone from the Cloud Hidden Sect wanted to see me, so I came to take a look." Eli Dao, "Originally, I didn't go into detail with you, but I also wanted to surprise you when I returned. But since you care about where I'm going, I'll tell you the truth and won't lie."
He paused and added, "Aren't you also wondering what the Cloud Hidden Sect is like? I'll take some pictures and go back to show you?"
"I don't need you to make a special trip to exchange something. The Cloud Hidden Gate is not the realm of ordinary people, and even if you're very powerful, it's still risky to go there single-handedly." Middendorffi paused, then said, "I won't be happy if you do that, no matter what you're taking."
His back-and-forth paragraphs didn't go with each other, but Eli caught on, "You're trying to say that I'm putting myself in danger by doing this, and you're unhappy because of it. So what I get after I do that doesn't mean anything to you, does it?"
"Right." Middendorffi said, "You said it yourself before if you're not happy about giving it away, you might as well not give it away."
Eli laughed silently.
"I know you're worried about me, but I'm certain the Cloud Hidden Sect can't do anything about me." He returned slowly, "And as you know, the general things in the mortal world are useless to me. I wanted to come and see if these so-called hidden sects have channels to provide me with special materials."
When he said he was there for himself, Middendorffi couldn't say anything. Thinking about it, Middendorffi only had to say, "Then why don't you ... not at least bring someone else along?"
"Take who? Take you, you have no hands, and I'd have to distract you; take someone else I don't trust." Eli said, "I didn't come here blindly, and it's true that I haven't seen anyone in the Cloud Hidden Sect who is more prevalent than me, so you don't have to worry. I shall return by daylight tomorrow at the latest, at ease."
Middendorffi looked ahead into the void, "You don't have to promise with me; nothing valid."
"... Then I won't do it again." Eli seemed to sigh, or maybe a long sigh of relief, "This is the last time; I'm going back with all my whiskers, okay?"
"Okay." Middendorffi returned dryly, stumbled for two seconds, then added, "But if you ... get into trouble this time, even if I'm not here, you can message and call me. I can get the 'Collector' to help."
Eli was also dry, "Okay, I'll keep that in mind."
That said, Middendorffi didn't have much else to discuss. Instead, Eli cared to say a few words about dinner and washing up for the rest of the day, and the two finally hung up.
Eli pressed out the phone before he said to the door, "Come in."
The ancient wooden door opened, and Zhang Dao stood there, not entering the door, only saying, "Mr Jones, my father said that the original stone golden jade you mentioned is ready. Are you going to see it now?"
"Go," Eli said as he headed for the door. His sabre was already hanging on his waist, looking mismatched and out of place with jacket sportswear. However, Zhang Dao, and even the entire Cloud Hidden Sect, would not comment on this.
When he passed in front of Zhang Dao, Eli suddenly seemed to remember something and looked at him with his head inclined: ''I told you that you are not allowed to go to Middendorffi without permission, and even more so, you are not allowed to talk to others about the condition of his body, do you all know about it in the Cloud Hidden Sect? Or do you want me to personally 'emphasise' it again?"
"I have already spoken to father, and he has promised never to spread the word and never to touch Mr Brown without permission." Zhang Dao Dao, "We invited Mr Jones this time, and we didn't inform Mr Brown or the 'Collector' about it either."
Eli has already turned up the corridor and lightly throws down, "Well, I was the one who told him that I came to the Cloud Hidden Sect."
Zhang Dao: "... Ah?"
--- Then what would you like us to keep secret for?
***
Although he talked with Eli about dinner and matters of rest, this night, Middendorffi neither ate nor slept.
Late at night, with the moon high in the sky, Middendorffi stood before the window, silently watching everything outside. All the lights of the residential buildings across the street were almost extinguished, occasional vehicles were heard on the roads, and the whole city had gone to sleep.
Middendorffi looked at his mobile phone again.
Middendorffi looked at his phone again and saw that no new messages had come in since he'd hung up, except for one "good night" from Eli around 10:30 p.m. Middendorffi pressed the screen on his phone and then pressed it off again. Middendorffi flicked the screen on and off, and then, after a few repetitions, she suddenly remembered Eli holding her hand as she opened and closed it.
Middendorffi also remembered what he had learnt, an essential trait about humans.
--Humans, often, are not to be trusted.
Middendorffi knew this very well.
I want to believe him, Middendorffi thought, but he has a history.
-Either ... confirm it? Just a little bit; as long as we can be sure that he is not lying, it is OK.
With this in mind, Middendorffi threw away his mobile phone.
He returned to his room and picked up the piece of ore that Eli had given him earlier; dark and unimpressive, not very nice. But Middendorffi examined it for a few seconds and put it down again instead of going to pick up the bottle that held the brat.
Middendorffi gently and slowly opened his mouth.
I pulled the cap off the bottle.