Chapter Twenty-Three: Lin Zhenzhen

The next morning, as the sun slowly rose from beneath the horizon, Nanlin City awakened to the start of another busy day. Upon waking, Li Changqing glanced at the now-spent “Commander’s Arrival Talisman,” feeling a twinge of regret. Such a fine item, yet its duration left much to be desired.

He sighed, picked up some raw glutinous rice, and ate it with hot water, only then noticing that Tang Xiaoyu was already awake. She was leaning against the bedroom window, gazing absentmindedly at the street below.

Dressing himself, Li Changqing asked, “Why aren’t you out watching TV? What are you doing here?”

Tang Xiaoyu glanced nervously toward the bedroom door and whispered, “That person from the Shadow Cult was already up and wandering around early this morning. It’s a bit scary...”

“Coward,” Li Changqing said, though he’d already made up his mind: as long as his own identity remained concealed, he was their master here and had nothing to fear.

He opened the door and led Tang Xiaoyu outside.

Their detective agency was usually tidy, but this morning it was spotless to an almost excessive degree. The bookshelves were orderly, the furniture gleamed, and Guan Wenyan was even on his hands and knees, scrubbing dirt from a hard-to-reach corner with a towel. Sweat dripped down his face, and he had deliberately smudged some dust and grime on himself for effect.

Hearing the door open, Guan Wenyan thought to himself that he needed not only to earn Hu Qideng’s trust but to become his confidant—fully infiltrating the core of the Shadow Cult.

“Hu—Detective Li, good morning. I noticed the place was a bit dirty, so I got up early to tidy things up for you. I also washed some of your dirty clothes,” he said. “And breakfast is on the way; please sit down, and I’ll serve it right up.”

Li Changqing was momentarily taken aback.

He coughed. “Ahem. Not bad. Well done.”

Guan Wenyan’s broad face broke into a good-natured smile. “It’s the least I can do.”

He turned and headed into the kitchen to continue cooking.

“Have some incense first,” Li Changqing said, taking a stick of incense into the bedroom for Tang Xiaoyu, closing the door behind her.

Guan Wenyan soon brought out a table full of dishes, pulling out a chair. “Detective Li, please.”

The food was surprisingly good—much better than takeout. As he ate, Li Changqing pondered for a moment and asked, “Wenyan, what are your plans next? You can’t stay here forever. Shouldn’t you find a job nearby?”

The Bureau’s intentions suggested a long campaign ahead, and who knew how many more people might show up? He couldn’t afford to support such a crowd indefinitely.

Guan Wenyan’s mind raced. Is he testing me?

With genuine emotion, he replied, “I don’t have any other skills; I just want to follow you and learn as much as I can.”

“Good, that’s a fine ambition for a young man.”

Guan Wenyan quickly ladled him a bowl of soup. “Protector, when shall we start the work?”

Work? What work?

Li Changqing had no idea what Shadow Cult rules he was expected to follow. He frowned, thought for a moment, then said slowly, “There’s no rush.”

“Yes, sir.” Guan Wenyan narrowed his eyes, realizing Li Changqing was probing him, trying to find out what Hu Qideng’s next move might be, so he could report back in advance.

“Young people shouldn’t be too hasty; eat your meal one bite at a time.”

Li Changqing sipped the hot, savory soup.

“Wash up the dishes, and since you’re not planning to find work, you can be my assistant for now.”

“Yes, sir,” Guan Wenyan nodded eagerly.

He happily cleared the table and went to wash the dishes. Li Changqing lounged on the sofa, legs crossed, occasionally glancing toward the kitchen.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

When he opened it, he found two people standing outside. One was a portly man in his forties, wearing a suit and carrying a briefcase under his arm, his face marked by a practiced, smooth expression. Beside him stood a striking young woman with delicate makeup, sunglasses, long hair cascading over her shoulders, a pure blue dress beneath a black leather jacket, and a special air about her—a face that seemed familiar, though Li Changqing couldn’t immediately recall from where.

“Is this Detective Li?” the middle-aged man asked in flawless Federal speech, smiling. “I’m...”

Li Changqing shook his head. “Sorry, our agency is not accepting commissions at this time...”

“No, please, this is Miss Lin Zhenzhen, and I’m her agent, Liang Daoyi.”

A celebrity? That explained why she looked so familiar—he’d seen her in the newspaper yesterday. She was scheduled to perform a concert in Nanlin City soon.

From his memory, Li Changqing recalled that Lin Zhenzhen had started out in beauty pageants, later playing supporting roles in two dramas that had boosted her name, leading to the release of a few songs. Unexpectedly, the songs were a hit, and her fame quickly grew—though she was only in her early twenties.

“Ah, Miss Lin, I’ve heard of you,” Li Changqing replied calmly, betraying little emotion. It made little difference to him whether she was a star or not; having just arrived in this world, even the biggest stars were strangers, and unlikely to stir any emotion in him.

Liang Daoyi looked somewhat anxious and whispered, “Shall we talk inside? If someone sees us, it could affect Miss Lin Zhenzhen’s reputation.”

He ushered Lin Zhenzhen inside. Guan Wenyan hurried to serve tea, uncertain of their identities but erring on the side of respect.

“This is my assistant,” Li Changqing introduced, then set out a chair and regarded Liang Daoyi and the beautiful Miss Lin Zhenzhen. “Are you here to commission a case?”

“That’s right,” Liang Daoyi hesitated, glancing at Lin Zhenzhen before continuing, “Detective Li, Miss Lin Zhenzhen arrived in Nanlin City yesterday, and soon after, she lost her voice. At the hospital, they found...”

“They found something lodged in her throat. When they extracted it, it turned out to be...”

Liang Daoyi produced a transparent sealed bag and set it on the table—it contained a lock of a woman’s hair.

Li Changqing’s brow furrowed, but he said nothing.

“When I woke this morning, my throat was uncomfortable again,” Lin Zhenzhen finally spoke, but her voice was strange, as if something was caught in her throat—singing was clearly impossible in such a state.

Though she wore sunglasses, her voice trembled with fear at this uncanny turn of events.

Liang Daoyi’s face was clouded with worry. “The concert is the night after tomorrow. If this continues, it might have to be postponed or canceled, which would be a serious blow to Miss Lin Zhenzhen’s reputation. Detective Li, a friend said you’ve solved many supernatural cases, so we’ve come to you.”

He dared not approach a large detective agency; matters involving the supernatural were not easily accepted, and with so many people, word might leak, damaging Lin Zhenzhen’s reputation. This agency was small but had a good reputation.

“If you can resolve this before the concert, the fee is fifty thousand Lang coins,” Liang Daoyi said, taking out ten thousand in cash and placing it on the table. “Detective Li, this is a token of our sincerity.”

Li Changqing glanced at Guan Wenyan, lost in thought, then accepted the ten thousand, drew up the commission contract, and Liang Daoyi signed without hesitation.

Counting the money, Li Changqing asked, “I’ll need some time to prepare. Where are you staying? Once I’m ready, I’ll come find you.”

“We’re at the Jintian Hotel in the city center. Here’s my number; when you arrive, call me and I’ll come down for you.”

Liang Daoyi pointed to his business card, eager not to linger—anyone seeing Lin Zhenzhen at a detective agency might spark unwanted rumors.

After seeing them out, Li Changqing turned to Guan Wenyan with a sigh. “You know, with so many people from our sect coming to join me soon, everything costs money. Even small commissions like these are necessary.”

“You work hard, Protector,” Guan Wenyan said gravely. “That woman must be haunted by an evil spirit. When the time comes, I’ll accompany you and exorcise it myself. You won’t even need to lift a finger—this case isn’t complicated.”

Li Changqing raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “Oh? I was planning to handle it myself, but if you’re willing to take care of it, I won’t stand on ceremony.”

“It’s my duty to relieve your worries, Protector,” Guan Wenyan replied, though he couldn’t help wondering why Hu Qideng was running a detective agency in the first place. Still, earning his trust was all that mattered.

“If there’s nothing else, mop the floor again. I’ll rest for a bit and check things out later.”

With the money in hand, Li Changqing went into the bedroom.

Tang Xiaoyu was inside, her eyes lighting up at the sight of the Lang coins. She quickly took the bundles and began counting happily. “Li Changqing, this Guan Wenyan fellow is pretty good—he mops the floor, cooks, and now he’s helping us earn money.”

Her nimble fingers swiftly counted the money into two piles, but then she frowned. “Wait, my money’s still in the bathroom. I’d better move in there to guard it—what if he tries to steal it?”

“You can hide your money in my room instead,” Li Changqing retorted. “Moving into the bathroom is ridiculous.”

Tang Xiaoyu shook her head vigorously. “You’ve been spending money too freely lately. I’m afraid you’ll use mine someday.”

Li Changqing rolled his eyes. “Seriously?”

Tang Xiaoyu nodded solemnly. “Very seriously.”

After a short rest and organizing his thoughts, Li Changqing donned his trench coat, picked up his cane, and had Tang Xiaoyu slip into his felt hat.

Leaving the room, he saw Guan Wenyan still dutifully scrubbing the already spotless floor.

Truly a diligent man.

“Wenyan, come on. Let’s go take a look.”