Chapter Four: Simple Jian, Simple Dan

Three nights later, the Candlelight flickered in the Reverse Door Bar, blending with the gentle notes of a piano piece and the intoxicating aroma of fine wine. Not far from the bar, four young people sat side by side, already tipsy, their business attire marking them as white-collar elites.

Their conversation meandered idly until a certain topic brought sudden animation.

“Did you hear about the member from my boss’s circle—a real estate guy—who owned over ten thousand acres out of province? A man with that much money, found dead outside his own door just a few days ago. Made the news. They’re saying it was a home invasion. Anyone hear about that?”

“So what if I did? I haven’t done anything to feel guilty about. Why should I fear a break-in?”

“…”

“Hey, anyone know where Little Sis went? Haven’t seen that kid around for ages.” A short-haired woman abruptly changed the subject.

“Who knows? No way to contact her. Most likely failed to make it in the capital and went back home.” The one who replied was a sultry beauty with long wavy hair, her blouse unbuttoned deep enough to reveal a generous expanse of snowy skin. The alcohol had flushed her cheeks, making her look all the more alluring.

Beside the wavy-haired woman sat a fastidious man, whose tie and cuffs were immaculately kept even in a bar. Savoring the atmosphere, he swirled the wine in his glass and said, eyes closed, “Little Sis is only a bit younger, a bit purer, a bit prettier than you. It’s not like she’s the only one like that around, so why single her out for bitterness?”

The wavy-haired woman snorted but didn’t argue.

The last of the four, an older man in workwear whom the group affectionately called “Uncle Drunk,” was slumped over the bar, well into his cups. He was always quiet, and by now, nearly unconscious.

The suited man took a sip of wine. “Actually, I do have Little Sis’s number.”

The wavy-haired woman sneered, “Hey, we all agreed: we can share a drink here, but once we leave, we’re strangers. How come you have her contact?”

The short-haired woman nodded in agreement.

They were all regulars, working late into the night, and liked to relax here, in this out-of-the-way spot. Their hardships had forged a tacit bond, but none had the energy or will to truly befriend new people. So they’d made a rule:

“Leave your mask at the door, drop the act. If we click, we drink together. If not, we part ways with no hard feelings. No prying into personal lives. Outside the bar, we’re strangers.”

Hence, they called each other by nicknames. The meticulous man styled himself “Perfect Gentleman,” and the Sichuan girl was known as “Little Sis.”

Perfect Gentleman smiled. “It was a coincidence. She and I live in the same direction. One day, I found a phone on the road and, when I contacted the owner, it turned out to be her. That’s how I got her number. But other than that, I know nothing about her.”

The wavy-haired woman leaned closer, pouting, “Men like you…”

“I never once called her, and maybe—” He glanced around the bar. “Maybe Little Sis doesn’t need this place anymore. This ‘refuge.’”

At this, the three of them fell silent, each nursing their drinks. In the end, they were just familiar strangers—sharing a drink, a few words, not even knowing each other’s real names. Who were they to worry over someone else’s pain?

Suddenly, a tiny bun-shaped head emerged from behind the opposite counter, her voice trembling with tears. “Why doesn’t Little Sis need this place anymore?”

They all started; even as regulars, the girl’s mask could sometimes surprise them.

The wavy-haired woman laughed, pinching the bun on Xuanzi’s head. “Little Crybaby, are you about to shed golden beans again?”

The short-haired woman, deceptively strong despite her slim frame, brushed aside the hand and easily lifted Xuanzi onto her lap.

Xuanzi, still bothered about Little Sis, sniffled. “You still haven’t told me why she doesn’t come anymore. Is it because I’m not good enough?”

Fearing tears, the short-haired woman quickly reassured her, “No, no, Xuanzi. Little Sis is just busy with work. She asked us to tell you that she’ll be here in a couple of days and will bring you a gift.”

At that moment, Uncle Drunk groaned from the bar, “Wine…”

Perfect Gentleman seized the moment to say sternly, “Hardworking Xuanzi, didn’t you hear? Uncle Drunk needs his wine!”

“Yes, sir!” Hearing that Little Sis would return soon and Uncle Drunk needed her, Xuanzi’s mood flipped like a page. She wriggled free, hopped off the stool, and ran towards Master Ten behind the bar.

“Master Ten, a bottle of baijiu! For Uncle Drunk.”

Perfect Gentleman glanced at the wine bottle in Uncle Drunk’s hand and stifled a laugh.

The short-haired woman breathed a sigh of relief. “That should do it. Lucky she’s forgetful. In a couple days, she’ll have forgotten the whole story.”

A lazy voice called out, “Hey, you guys, stop teasing my little sister or I’ll throw you out.”

Li Fusi, sprawled at one end of the bar, had been watching the group and only spoke up after Xuanzi left.

The wavy-haired woman always felt that, despite the owner’s handsome looks, there was a ferocity in his gaze that made her own brashness falter. Still, she muttered, “What’s with the attitude? It’s not like Xuanzi did anything! I wouldn’t come to this dump if you paid me.” With that, she snatched her bag and stormed out.

Perfect Gentleman and the short-haired woman stood up as well. “Well, Boss Li, we’re off too.”

No one bothered with the unconscious Uncle Drunk; he always drank till dawn.

Li Fusi sighed, muttering, “How do you know nothing’s happened?”

For monsters, emotional turmoil was the greatest taboo.

With only a few scattered patrons left, and the regulars just gone, the bar’s wooden door burst open.

A young man with a locust leaf on his head swaggered in. His hair was tied in a short ponytail, with two strands falling to his chin, making him look about the same age as Li Fusi. He plopped himself down at the bar, looming over Li Fusi.

Li Fusi didn’t bother to look up; the sound of the door alone gave the intruder away.

It was Simple, assistant to Tian Xinxin, the regional manager of the Boundary organization in the capital—a man with features more beautiful than most women, though a certain heroic air and furrowed brows lent him some masculinity.

The two men began a childish silent contest, ignoring each other. But Simple couldn’t hold out and, with a sidelong glance at the person beside Li Fusi—Ren Shouhua—and the tank with two fanfish, he cried out in a shrill tone, “Well, well, Boss Li, expanding your empire? These two fish are a rare breed.”

Li Fusi drawled, “Scram…”

Simple feigned deafness. “Oh, and by the way, the other day, Night Watch’s Wildcat submitted an image of a never-before-seen monster, called—what was it—Qing’e, wasn’t it? Looked a lot like these two fish. Except Wildcat’s report said all 1,372 of them were found dead.”

Simple leaned in, whispering, “Privately keeping monsters is strictly forbidden by Boundary. The lightest offense is imprisonment; the worst, execution. Boss Li, you’re playing with fire.”

Li Fusi, when he’d found the two surviving Qing’e in the ruined tank at Qian Youshui’s villa, had been surprised as well. He figured the big Qing’e hadn’t been able to fully unleash its blood-summoning power before dying, letting these two survive.

Despite Lu Hua’s protests, Li Fusi had insisted on bringing them back to the bar instead of handing them over to Boundary.

He knew that if he wanted to keep the Qing’e safely at the Reverse Door Bar, he’d need the help of this troublesome friend. It always helped to have connections. So he decided to keep his peace for now.

Simple called out, “Xuanzi.”

The girl appeared at once, as if conjured by the wind. “Wow, Simple Brother’s here. Xuanzi reporting!”

“Xuanzi, these two little fish are adorable. Whose are they? Do they have names?”

“They’re mine, a gift from my brother! One is called Qing, the other E.”

“So, together, that’s Qing’e. Someone’s so lazy he can’t even name a fish properly.”

Li Fusi thought, if a name change could help, what need would there be for monster sketches? The nerve of this guy, dragging Xuanzi into this.

Growing annoyed, he shooed Xuanzi away. “Xuanzi, go bring a fruit platter to the customer in the corner. Say it’s a festival gift.”

“Yes, brother!” A few steps away, she turned and asked, “Which festival is it today?”

“Obon.”

“Yes, brother!”

Simple rolled up his sleeves and slipped behind the bar, perfectly aware of Li Fusi’s intentions, and sneered, “What you’re doing is sacrilege.”

Li Fusi cracked his knuckles. “Sacrilege? No, today I’m making an offering to the gods—using you as the sacrifice!”

“Awooo!”

“Roar!”

The two men howled and lunged at each other.

Master Ten, unfazed, stopped polishing glasses and turned up the music to avoid disturbing the customers.

Eventually, they emerged from behind the bar: Li Fusi’s hair a mess, Simple’s clothes askew, both faces scratched.

“Bastard, getting sneakier, aren’t you?”

“Right back at you.”

Master Ten turned the music down and handed Simple a glass of Coke—Simple never drank alcohol but adored Coke.

After taking their seats, Simple pulled a special piece of drawing paper from his pocket and slapped it on the bar, indicating the two Qing’e. “Li Fusi, you’re getting bold. Do you think your rank—second on the merit board—makes you above Boundary’s rules?”

The paper, as tough as cloth, was an official monster sketch issued by Boundary.

On one side, a misty drawing of the monster’s frog-like mouth; on the other, the big Qing’e emerging from the shadows—fish body, frog mouth, webbed claws, crocodile eyes, its gaze full of warning. Below was a brief description.

Li Fusi recognized it as a copy of the painting on Lu Hua’s wooden board. He glanced at it, then rubbed his chest and muttered, “Spit it out.”

Simple laughed. “Playing dumb? Look at this—one, two, three… Add these two Qing’e, that’s five monsters, two half-demons. Is this a monster asylum, or are you building an army?”

Li Fusi didn’t bother to explain. He and Simple both knew how these things worked—without his friend’s help, Lu Hua and Ren Shouhua would never have slipped past Boundary’s eyes. He needed Simple's help to let the Qing’e remain here.

Changing the subject, Li Fusi asked, “Tell me about the big Qing’e and Qian Youshui. Monsters don’t usually go after ordinary blood with such vengeance.”

Simple pulled a hundred-yuan note from his pocket, waved it, and slapped it on the bar.

At first, the note looked ordinary, but within seconds, the two Qing’e grew frenzied, dashing wildly in their tank. The bill then dissolved into a cloud of blood-red dust, which drifted into the tank and was devoured by the creatures.

All three, even Master Ten, were taken aback.

Li Fusi shot Simple a questioning look.

Simple, pained, replied, “That bill was soaked in the big Qing’e’s blood. It didn’t do anything during testing, but the moment it met these two survivors, it triggered this reaction.”

“The Ministry of Scientific Investigation worked hard to confirm the Qing’e’s existence from ancient texts. Their abilities are nearly identical to what Lu Hua’s chicken described: use the blood of a male Qing’e to coat eighty-one coins, and the blood of a female for eighty-one more. Use the mother for the son, and the son for the mother, and the money will always return.”

“Qian Youshui must have found a way to keep the bills from breaking down. Or maybe this only happens when either the mother or son dies. In any case…”

Li Fusi finished, “Qian Youshui got rich by extracting Qing’e blood and using this ‘self-returning money’ trick?”

Simple nodded.

“In the process, a number of young Qing’e would die.”

“No wonder the big Qing’e was willing to sacrifice its whole brood to kill him.”

“Otherwise, he could just breed another female, make a new brood, and keep using them as tools—a fate worse than death.”

“As for why Qian Youshui had Qing’e blood in him—who knows? Maybe he thought it would boost his virility or clear up his skin, and ended up drinking some. Didn’t expect the big Qing’e to take him down when it destroyed its bloodline. Both are dead now, and the survivors can’t speak, so there’s no way to know for sure.”

Li Fusi fell silent.

Simple let him mull things over; he knew it was pointless to push. If Li Fusi didn’t figure things out himself, it would weigh him down. But once he did, it would strengthen his resolve.

After a while, Li Fusi exhaled heavily. “What’s Boundary’s verdict on the case?”

Simple sobered. “The big Qing’e was deemed a low-tier monster, worth one merit point. But since Qian Youshui died—a major, irreparable incident—that one point isn’t enough to cover it. However, you provided the monster sketch, which is worth ten points, and Qian Youshui was dirty as hell. Even if he couldn’t be sentenced to death, he’d have gotten twenty or thirty years. So, after deliberation, the higher-ups decided to reward you by waiving eleven merit points and giving you one month’s suspension.”

Simple’s expression grew serious. “Most importantly, because Tian Xinxin, our regional manager, pleaded your case, even the suspension was canceled. You should be grateful, Li Fusi!”

Li Fusi rolled his eyes; this guy never missed a chance to speak up for Tian Xinxin.

Simple slapped on a couple of bandages for his scratches and asked, “So, your plan’s fallen through. What now? You were just a few points away from hiring those old half-demon families to treat Xuanzi. Such a shame.”

Li Fusi poured himself a glass of red wine. “We’ll wait for another chance.”

Simple’s mood darkened. “Did you get the blood-restoring herb?”

Li Fusi nodded.

“It only treats the symptoms, not the root cause, and the side effects are severe. If it goes on, Xuanzi will eventually waste away.”

Li Fusi drank in silence—they both knew this long ago.

“You know you can’t leave the capital for assignments because Xuanzi can’t be without you for long. But any monster that dares enter the capital for blood is either powerful or freakishly gifted—hard to find, harder to kill. Cases as ‘cost-effective’ as Qian Youshui’s are rare.”

Simple hesitated, but finally said, “We’re just one step away. I know you don’t want to wait any longer. There’s another case, under investigation for a month now. The target’s suspected to be a hundred-point, Cataclysm-level monster. You know what that means. Will you take it?”

Li Fusi didn’t hesitate; he nodded.

Simple pulled a thick file from his coat, set it on the bar, and stood. “Boundary’s already launched a major operation for this one. I got you the position of team leader. By the way, you’ve killed Cataclysm-level monsters before, haven’t you?”

“Two. Nearly died both times.”

“Oh… I’m off, then.”