Apocalypse Forecast

According to Ai Qing's knowledge, the relationship between the Yin Family and the Huai Family could be traced back eighty years.

At that time, Huai Shi's great-grandfather, as a rare Fourth Stage Sublimator, had amassed a considerable fortune from the open areas of the Border and retired with his achievements.

Back then, he had given significant assistance to the Yin Family, playing a substantial role in the revival of the already declining Yin clan.

However, with the death of Huai Shi's great-grandfather, the Yin clan began to rise anew, but the Huai clan never again produced a Sublimator and gradually fell into decline.

Ultimately, it was during the Huai clan's most dire need for financial turnover that the Yin Family chose to kick them while they were down, leading to the Huai's complete and utter downfall.

With the death of Huai Shi's grandfather and the disappearance of his parents along with a large sum of assets, this was the last straw that broke the camel's back.

The process was so smooth that, if it were written up from the beginning, it could easily make up eight hundred thousand words. To say that there was nothing shady going on behind it all, not even a ghost would believe.

It was a feast orchestrated by all parties involved: the Yin Family ate the meat, Qi Wen drank the soup, and in the end, Huai Shi was left as a mere fig leaf.

You see, it's not that I don't cherish old feelings; it's just normal business competition. It's just that your descendants are truly too shameful. On account of the old times, I'll leave you with a single piece of bread. Isn't that considerate? Now you can't say I've been too harsh, can you?

Having secured practical benefits, preserved the Yin Family's face, and provided an explanation to the departed old friend—isn't it a delight to have everything fall into place so perfectly?

After all, this world runs on puffery and mutual back-scratching. With this layer of superficial accountability in place, everything started to look shiny and flawless.

Simply beyond reproach.

Yet it was another matter entirely that Qi Wen, this old dog, wanted to break free from the Yin Family's chains after obtaining his stepping stone to advancement.

Over the years, Qi Wen acted as a protector for The Purified People. He quietly kept all actions of the Savior Association hidden in the dark while rapidly amassing benefits and growing in power, eventually becoming a force to be reckoned with.

Even the Yin Family couldn't admonish them casually but instead had to force a smile and sincerely welcome this once-loyal dog back into their embrace.

Today, that old grandpa must be in a wonderful mood, right?

Even though there might be rage and gloom in his heart, Ai Qing couldn't help but maliciously speculate –– that face, covered with liver spots, must look incredibly ugly when squeezed into a smile.

But then her mood became heavy again.

How should she break this bad news to Huai Shi?

「. . .」

Right now, Huai Shi was watching two people arguing.

In the basement of the Two-Path Trafficker detective's office, just as he walked in, he heard the detective lamenting, "In my opinion, those Purified People are planning something big, and it's not just Xinhai that's in for trouble!"

"Shut the fuck up!" Liu DongLi immediately got angry. "Can you stop your wild guesses? With that jinxed mouth of yours, you'll make it happen even if it wasn't going to!"

"Bullshit, what I'm doing is called reasonable speculation!" The detective snorted coldly. "Believe it or not, I can immediately write you a hundred-thousand-word paper and Q.E.D. it for you?"

"Go ahead and write! Your ability restriction order hasn't expired yet. Aren't you afraid the Astronomical Society will use the Rainbow Bridge to parachute a bunch of Defenders down to execute you? Write, I dare you!"

"I can't write about The Purified People causing trouble, and I sure can't write about you being toast!"

"The day I'm toast, I'll definitely sell you out first!"

Before Huai Shi's astonished gaze, the two had already started fighting—or rather, the detective was being beaten up one-sidedly. Soon, the bruised and swollen-faced detective began to beg for mercy.

Long accustomed to his friend's foul mouth, Liu DongLi let go and caught his breath, no longer bothering to argue with him.

Only Huai Shi found the basement's setup incredible.

"Impressive," he remarked, eyeing the various firearms and grenades hanging on the wall. "Do you also sell these things?"

"If I dared sell them, I'd have been wiped out by the Special Affairs Department long ago. How would I still be here talking in one piece?" The detective rolled his eyes. "These are the tools of someone's crimes."

"Scram, scram, scram! What I do is called cracking down on thugs and protecting the innocent."

Liu DongLi sat in a chair, unwinding bandages, and winced as he poured Potion over the wounds on his body.

With his upper body bare, the crisscrossing wounds were quite daunting. Those cuts, like the grins of a child, rapidly closed under the Potion's application. After a night's recuperation, they finally didn't look too ghastly.

After finally breathing a sigh of relief, he put on his clothes and looked at Huai Shi seriously.

"You must have a lot of questions you want to ask right now."

"...Uh."

After a long silence, Huai Shi scratched his head awkwardly. "Actually, I think I've pretty much understood what I needed to, and there's not much to ask. If I really have to say something, it's that I hope the Astronomical Society can clear up this mess with The Purified People as soon as possible."

"Actually, they've already started cleaning it up."

Liu DongLi's expression showed difficulty. "But the problem is that Xinhai isn't the only place facing this issue."

"Huh?"

"I got news from the internal operations department last night." He sighed helplessly. "Along the coastal areas of Dongxia, including Xinhai, The Purified People have been discovered in more than six cities. Even their fishing boats are wandering at sea. If you ask me, they might really be planning something big this time, hence the rush to consolidate their forces.

In fact, the Border Hunters of the entire Jinling area have already begun an emergency mobilization, but Dongxia has adamantly refused the Astronomical Society's intervention. In the end, it's likely the Social Security Bureau's forces will be deployed.

Ah, the Social Security Bureau is the higher organization above the Special Affairs Department; it's Dongxia's department for managing Sublimators. Although the name sounds similar to another organization, it's actually a separate, covert department. You might deal with it often in the future, so you'll probably get used to it."

After a long silence, Huai Shi nodded blankly. Noticing Liu DongLi's helpless expression, he forced a smile. "Sorry, I didn't sleep very well last night."

"That's normal. Facing a scene like that, nobody would sleep well." Liu DongLi comforted him as if he hadn't noticed anything, placing a cup of hot tea in front of him. "Drink more hot water; it's good for the body. Working for the Astronomical Society, it's inevitable to deal with these kinds of things."

He deliberately avoided the scene of Huai Shi losing control last night.

Although he could sense that Huai Shi was hiding something, Liu DongLi had no intention of delving deeper. No one is born all-powerful, just as nobody is without flaws.

Everyone has their tough times, and prattling on with too many questions won't solve any problems; it would only be annoying.

Yet, he always felt that Huai Shi seemed different.

He was not like the boy he used to be, nor like the Evil Ghost he had seen last night.

Despite his drowsy, unfocused appearance, he seemed as if he had finally been freed from a prolonged dream and returned to the mortal world.

It was as if something had been injected into that empty shell of a smile, making him different from his usual self.

Amidst Liu DongLi's anxious contemplation, he suddenly heard a loud SNAP. He looked and saw Huai Shi slapping his knee and abruptly standing up, his expression turning frantic, "Fuck!"

"What's wrong?" Liu DongLi asked, startled.

"I just remembered—" Huai Shi trailed off as he slowly turned around, nervous. "I think I forgot to practice the piano today!"

"..."

Liu DongLi rolled his eyes, no longer wanting to speak. Surely, he had overthought it.

This kind of guy, if left to his own devices, would only be a goofball for life, right!

After confirming that Liu DongLi's injuries were nothing serious, Huai Shi prepared to leave. Liu DongLi even instructed him not to divulge his whereabouts, probably because the guy still planned to conduct some investigation.

Huai Shi was curious, but he had to report to Ai Qing this afternoon and simply didn't have the time.

Yet, just as he was about to leave, he was stopped by Liu DongLi.

"Uh, Huai Shi..."

In the end, Liu DongLi couldn't help his concern. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Huai Shi turned back, waving and smiling at him. "Don't worry, just like you said, I have to learn to accept it, right?"

Liu DongLi was momentarily taken aback.

The door closed, and the sound of the young man's footsteps gradually faded away.

"He's gone?"

The detective, who had just been rummaging through boxes and had fetched an inventory list, ready to make a sales pitch, looked astonished in the direction the youth had departed. After a while, he shook his head and exclaimed, "Wow, your little brother gives off a vibe that he might never return, doesn't he?"

Liu DongLi sighed helplessly.

Then, turning around, he lunged at the detective and gave him a sound thrashing.

"Would you frickin' shut your jinxing mouth!"

「. . .」

At four in the afternoon, a light drizzle began to fall.

The rainy season was about to start.

Luckily, Huai Shi was quick and rang the doorbell of Ai Qing's Home before the rain got heavier.

Since she had long been the only official member of the local Astronomical Society, there was no need for an office in a building. The workplace was simply set up in the study of her two-story house.

Based on Huai Shi's own way of thinking, he even suspected that Ai Qing might have pocketed the site rental fees allocated from above.

Truly enviable...

Upon arrival at the gate, seeing the exquisite little garden and the detached villa behind the fence, Huai Shi couldn't help feeling a pang in his heart—they're all houses, so why does his own look so poor by comparison?

Indeed, he thought, he should sell some powder and hire someone to repaint the exterior walls another day, right?

Or maybe buy a few new pieces of furniture?

Mulling over these thoughts, he was welcomed by Ai Qing's maid into the house and led to the study on the second floor.

"Miss is waiting for you."

She opened the door, indicating for Huai Shi to enter.

Ai Qing's study was, to say the least, stark.

There were no bookshelves or pretentious paintings and potted plants, just a desk and a chair prepared for visitors.

Ai Qing seemed to be writing something on her computer, her eyebrows slightly furrowed, not noticing Huai Shi's entrance. It wasn't until the maid brought in tea and whispered a reminder that she snapped out of it.

"Sorry, I'm filing a report on some pending issues from the previous term." She massaged her forehead, looking troubled, then looked up at Huai Shi and paused. "What's wrong with you?"

"Me? I'm fine." Huai Shi smiled blankly and scratched his head. "I probably just didn't sleep well, I guess?"

Ai Qing looked at him strangely for a long time, seeming to accept this explanation, but said nothing. Instead, she appeared as if... she didn't know what to say.

"Is something wrong?" Huai Shi asked.

"No, nothing!" Ai Qing denied, taking a deep breath and letting out a lengthy sigh, showing a rare lack of composure. "Right, I called you here... what was it for again?"

"Uh..." Huai Shi wasn't too certain. "I remember you mentioned something about a courier?"

"Right, the courier." Ai Qing rubbed her temples. After a while, she abruptly said, "I got it wrong. I meant to tell you that the reward for Red Gloves has been issued."

"Huh?" Huai Shi was confused.

"People from Green Day usually have bounties on them posted by the Astronomical Society and various countries. Although most are akin to head money, when accumulated, they amount to quite a bit. A total of 3,470,000 US Dollars will soon be transferred to your account."

"What?"

Dumbstruck for a moment, Huai Shi finally realized he was about to receive more than three million US Dollars out of nowhere—like finding a diamond-studded gold pillow when drowsy. He was instantly overjoyed, so excited he stumbled over his words, "Oh! Oh! Thank you!"

Ai Qing remained silent for a long time, glancing at the box under the desk, her expression growing complicated. In the end, she decided not to take it out.

"Congratulations," she said. "From now on, you no longer need to risk your life for money."