Chapter 008: The Golden Retriever Beneath the Lone Lamp

Due to the urgency of the situation, Lin Yu immediately called Lu Mou to report. After receiving Lu Mou’s authorization to proceed, Lin Yu turned to the others and said, “I’ve already reported everything to Director Lu. For certain reasons, he can’t return right now, but he’s approved our request for the pest eliminators. He’s given us three hours. Let’s set out at once!”

“What about Big Chi? Should we wake him up and take him along?” Qin Qisan pointed at Ling Chi, who was snoring away on the table.

“Wake him up? Are you trying to make this mission too easy?” Wu Miaoran retorted with clear annoyance.

“True. His greatest contribution is not participating at all,” Qin Qisan nodded.

The three of them returned to their offices to collect their card keys, then hurried to the end of the corridor behind the general manager’s office. At the end, there were two thick walls. At first glance, one might think the space inside belonged to neighboring offices, but in fact, these walls concealed a separate compartment, nearly impossible to detect without close inspection.

Lin Yu stood at the corridor window, examined the eight oil paintings on the wall, rearranged them, and then tapped on the leftmost three. Each painting produced a clear chime in response. Lin Yu took down one painting, revealing a small aperture on the back, glowing with blue light.

Each of them scanned their secret key over the small aperture. Once confirmed, three concealed doors appeared in the wall, each just large enough for an adult to stoop through. Their pest eliminators were hidden inside.

As they retrieved their devices, a cold, mechanical voice issued from the glowing aperture: “Pest Eliminator No. 2, ‘Lost in the Fog’—approved for use, three hours. Pest Eliminator No. 3, ‘A Taste of Everything’—approved for use, three hours. Pest Eliminator No. 6, ‘Imposing Presence’—approved for use, three hours.”

Despite their mysterious names, each pest eliminator looked like a mundane household item. Lin Yu’s No. 2 was a filthy mop with overly long, knotted strips. Qin Qisan’s No. 6 was an ordinary wooden comb, indistinguishable from the cheap ones sold on street stalls. As for Wu Miaoran’s No. 3, it appeared to be an ordinary medicine kit, though it had a faintly technological aura, with a multitude of colorful buttons and blinking metallic pieces.

Wu Miaoran swiftly pressed the buttons on the kit. With a crackle of current and acrid smoke, the round cap at the upper right popped open, and a bottle of pale purple liquid slowly floated up. The label bore flies and mosquitoes, crossed out with a bold red X.

Wu Miaoran poured the liquid onto the festering, hairy boil on her arm. Instantly, white froth bubbled up as she grimaced in pain, her arm trembling involuntarily.

“Ahhh—it hurts so much… damn it…”

“Hey, hey, hey, Miss, don’t you think you’re being a bit too reckless? Are you boiling a pig in scalding water? Couldn’t you have poured it out gradually?” Qin Qisan swallowed nervously, clearly startled.

“It hurts like hell… Do you think I wanted to? My hand slipped and poured too much at once…” Wu Miaoran replied helplessly.

Despite the agony, the effect of the purple potion was immediate and dramatic. The liquid reacted with the swollen mass, consuming it and forming a thick, grayish-yellow foam.

After three minutes, Wu Miaoran wiped away the filthy foam from her arm with a cloth. The swelling had largely subsided, leaving behind a web-like scar.

Staring at the potion’s astonishing effect, Lin Yu couldn’t help but marvel, “Of your ‘A Taste of Everything’ kit, this antidote is by far the most reliable. Save the rest—you might need it soon.”

“Hisss… it still hurts so much. If I’d known, I might have left it alone,” Wu Miaoran gritted her teeth, clutching her wrist in obvious agony.

Lin Yu wanted to offer some comfort, but realizing it would be pointless, he turned to Qin Qisan instead. “By the way, Old Three, there’s some ibuprofen in my drawer. Bring it along—if Miaoran can’t take the pain, give her two tablets.”

“Thanks a lot. No wonder you’re single on merit. Why not have Old Three carry a thermos of hot water for me? Isn’t that supposed to cure everything?” Wu Miaoran shot back, fuming.

“Haha, but you have to boil water first. Let’s get moving!”

With that, Lin Yu dashed downstairs, with Qin Qisan and Wu Miaoran hurrying after him. They left the company in haste, heading once again to Jinju Snacks.

By the time they arrived, it was nearly ten. This time, they didn’t enter the neighborhood, but instead went straight to the main entrance of Jinju Snacks.

The moment they parked, they sensed something was off. Though Pasadena Estate was old, it was densely populated, surrounded by newer developments and bustling with people. At ten in the evening, many were just returning from overtime, finishing late-night mahjong, or heading out for more drinks—it was prime time for a midnight snack.

On both sides of Jinju Snacks, two skewer shops had set up outdoor tables, packed with patrons feasting and drinking raucously. Yet Jinju Snacks, sandwiched between them, was closed and dark, its main doors tightly shut.

Qin Qisan got out, slicking back his oily hair. “Closed so early?”

“Not really early. Master Lu is getting on in years—maybe he just can’t stay up late anymore,” Wu Miaoran said.

“Normally, Jinju Snacks never closes this early. I remember a food blogger once came by at eleven for late-night noodles, and Master Lu gave him an extra bowl of hot soup. Closing this early is definitely strange. Let’s check inside,” Lin Yu said gravely.

They approached the door, which was locked and shrouded in darkness. Lin Yu knocked on the shutter, but there was no response.

Looking up, they saw the windows tightly covered by heavy curtains, no sign of life or light within. Lin Yu knocked for a while longer, but seeing no reaction, he said, “Let’s circle around and go in through the estate.”

“What if the old couple already left? If they’re not inside, breaking in wouldn’t be right,” Qin Qisan said.

“Didn’t you hear Master Lu earlier? Even though they have an apartment downtown, the couple mostly lives here because it’s so close to the market—it’s convenient and cheap for morning groceries,” Wu Miaoran explained.

Qin Qisan squinted, putting on an air of mystery. “This estate has always had bad feng shui—so near the market, it’s practically cursed. If only the couple had met me sooner, I could have helped them and spared them this misfortune.”

“If they’d met you, Old Three, their house would’ve collapsed, and they’d be out on the streets by now,” Wu Miaoran retorted with a laugh.

“Come on, we’re running out of time. Let’s move,” Lin Yu said, all business.

The three of them circled back to the main gate and slipped easily into the estate—there was no security. Despite Qin Qisan’s superstitious talk, the place did feel rather eerie at night—twisted shadows from the trees, a musty, decaying smell, the dim yellow streetlights—all of it set their nerves on edge.

When they reached the back entrance of the restaurant, they found the whole building shrouded in blackness—not a light on in any apartment. The building opposite was the same. The restaurant’s location was so remote that most residents had moved away, leaving it desolate.

Only Jinju Restaurant had a back door, which made it easy for them to find. At that moment, a single, flickering lamp hung at the stairwell corner by the back door. In the wavering glow, the three of them made an unexpected discovery: the big golden retriever from the surveillance video was lying right beneath the lonely light…