Lu Fei and Tiger exchanged a glance.
Why was this bald man suddenly so generous? Was it really for their sake? Or... was there a trap?
"Thank you, Mr. Hua." Lu Fei nodded slightly at the bald man and led the Yu couple into the manor.
"Thank you! Thank you so much!"
The Yu couple were overwhelmed with gratitude, bowing repeatedly to the bald man, thanking him profusely.
The Wangyue Manor wasn't very large.
Lu Fei and Tiger accompanied the Yu couple, searching every corner inside and out, including the kitchen and storage areas.
Yet, there wasn't the slightest trace of the child.
The bald man even called out the chefs and waitstaff, asking them to look at the missing child's picture.
But everyone shook their heads, saying they hadn't seen him.
"Shopkeeper Lu, as you can see, if there was a child here, someone would have noticed." The bald man smiled faintly, addressing Lu Fei.
"Dongdong, where are you?"
The light in the Yu couple's eyes dimmed. Clutching the child's armband, they looked utterly disappointed and helpless.
"There's one place we haven't checked yet!" Tiger pointed toward a small building behind the manor. "Back there!"
"My friend, that's where I live. Didn't you already check it last night?" The bald man smiled calmly.
"We checked the building, but not the flat houses!" Tiger retorted stubbornly.
"That's where I keep my eels. My farming methods are a trade secret—I can't just let outsiders in. What if someone steals my technique? Who would compensate for my losses?"
"It's just fish farming! What's the big deal? Are you hiding something? Feeling guilty, maybe?" Tiger yelled. He had never liked this bald man, whose constant smile seemed insincere.
Tiger's father once told him, no one could smile all the time unless they were faking it.
Lu Fei placed a hand on Tiger's shoulder and stepped forward with a smile. "Mr. Hua, parents' hearts are filled with endless concern. Why not let them take a look to set their minds at ease? This could also clear any doubts about your manor, saving it from future rumors, wouldn't you agree?"
A spark of hope reignited in the Yu couple's eyes as they nervously looked at the bald man.
"Since Shopkeeper Lu asked, I suppose it's not impossible." The bald man thought for a moment and then said, "But I have a condition."
"Mr. Hua, don't worry. No matter what we see, we won't spread it around," Lu Fei assured him.
The Yu couple nodded vigorously in agreement.
"That's part of it, but I also need Shopkeeper Lu's help in dealing with a problem of mine." The bald man looked at Lu Fei with a faint smile.
Lu Fei's eyes narrowed slightly. Although it was broad daylight, the infant spirit clinging to the bald man wasn't visible, but Lu Fei could still see the black aura swirling around him.
He hadn't expected the bald man to use this as a bargaining chip.
"Mr. Hua, I'm not particularly skilled in matters unrelated to Evil Pawnshop."
"Shopkeeper Lu, you're too modest. I've heard that nothing is too difficult for Evil Pawnshop." The bald man's intentions were clear: if Lu Fei didn't agree, he wouldn't budge.
Lu Fei glanced at the Yu couple.
They didn't say anything, but their tear-filled eyes spoke volumes.
"Alright, I'll help you," Lu Fei decided swiftly.
"Shopkeeper Lu, your compassion is admirable. I knew you'd agree."
The bald man, smiling smugly, led the group through the manor to a row of dark flat houses.
He unlocked the door with a key.
A wave of damp, musty air rushed out.
Inside the flat house were two large water tanks. The surface of the water was calm, but a closer look revealed numerous eels, wriggling like snakes.
Some were as thin as fingers, while others were as thick as a baby's arm.
They lay nestled in the mud, seemingly asleep. Their countless writhing shapes sent shivers down everyone's spine.
The Yu couple anxiously looked around.
The flat house was sparsely furnished, making it easy to see that there was no place to hide a child.
"As you can see, there's no way a child could be here," the bald man said confidently.
"What about that door?" Lu Fei asked, pointing to the last door.
"That's where I store the eels' food." The bald man opened the door without hesitation.
Tiger craned his neck curiously, wanting to see what these mysterious Wangyue eels were fed with.
His eyes widened in shock.
Inside were two rows of iron cages holding over a dozen lambs.
The lambs appeared listless, their eyes dull and lifeless. They lay quietly in their cages, making no sound.
"Lambs?!"
Lu Fei's heart skipped a beat.
"That's right. We feed our eels with live lambs, not carcasses. Only fish raised on live creatures have the best meat quality."
"Feeding fish with live lambs? Isn't that too cruel?" Tiger frowned.
"Cruel? Isn't it the same as feeding chickens and ducks with worms? These lambs are destined for slaughter anyway. Whether they're used to feed fish or people, what's the difference?"
Tiger fell silent, uncomfortable but unable to argue.
Lu Fei stared at the lambs intently without speaking.
The lambs were all weak and frail, some with traces of blood on them. They showed no reaction to the presence of strangers, as if they were on the verge of death.
"So, have you seen enough? There's no child here." The bald man's gaze swept over the group, his confident smile unwavering.
"Let's search the building again," Tiger insisted.
"No problem." The bald man, ever patient, led them back to the small building for another search.
As expected, they found nothing.
"Dongdong, where are you..."
Unable to find her child, Mrs. Yu collapsed in despair, her legs giving way beneath her.
"Dongdong's mom! Don't scare me like this!"
Yu Zhensheng frantically held his wife.
Lu Fei rushed to her side, pressing on her icy cold finger to help stabilize her.
Tiger hurriedly called for an ambulance.
The paramedics arrived quickly, and fortunately, Mrs. Yu was not in life-threatening danger. However, she was utterly exhausted and could no longer continue the relentless search. She needed rest.
Watching his frail wife, Yu Zhensheng seemed to have lost all his strength as well.
"Maybe we should give up. I've already lost my child—I can't lose my wife too. Mr. Lu, I'm sorry for troubling you."
As the ambulance drove away, Lu Fei clenched his fists, lost in thought.
"It's heartbreaking. If the heavens had any sense of justice, they'd help them find their child!" Tiger sighed heavily.
"If praying to the heavens worked, there wouldn't be so many tragedies in this world."
Lu Fei took a deep breath and turned to face the bald man, his expression shifting to a smile.
Who said only the bald man could keep up a facade?
Lu Fei could play the same game.