No Such Person

The doorbell rang for a while. Seeing that Annie still hadn't come out to answer it, Zhang Yuanqing left the bedroom and opened the security door himself. Standing outside was a boy of seven or eight with large eyes and delicate features—a rather cute child. It was the landlady's kid. He held a food box in his right hand and clutched an aluminum canister in his left, with the characters for "Tieguanyin" written across the can. "Hello, Uncle!" the little boy greeted politely. "It's Big Brother, not Uncle. Say it again," Zhang Yuanqing corrected. "Hello, Big Brother!" Zhang Yuanqing rather admired the boy's ability to read the room. Nodding with satisfaction, he asked, "What's up?" The little boy looked down at the food box and said in a crisp voice, "Afternoon tea. Mom told me to bring it over, along with some tea leaves." Zhang Yuanqing stepped aside. "Come on in." He guided the boy inside, took the food box, and set it on the coffee table. Opening the lid, he found a plate of pastries and a plate of sauce-brown glutinous rice balls inside the two-tiered box. "Tangyuan?" "No, it's bushuai." *What on earth is bushuai?* Zhang Yuanqing took out the pastries and the bushuai while asking, "What's your name?" "My name is Cao Chao. My English name is Robin," the little boy replied. *...?* Zhang Yuanqing froze for a second before finally managing, "Nice name. Well, I mean the Chinese one. Who named you?" "Dad." "Does your dad love reading Romance of the Three Kingdoms?" "How did you know?" Cao Chao's small face filled with astonishment. *I also know your dad must really like Cao Cao. Hopefully he admires Cao Cao's grand talent and vision, and not his sexual preferences...* Zhang Yuanqing picked up one of the "tangyuan" with chopsticks and took a bite. It was silky, tender, and sweet without being cloying, the rich sweetness of brown sugar syrup and the fragrance of glutinous rice dancing across his taste buds. It was surprisingly delicious. He opened the aluminum canister and took a sniff. A tea aroma greeted his nostrils; the Tieguanyin was of decent quality. This was likely the landlady's return gesture. After all, the new tenant had been exceedingly prompt with the money, paying half a year's rent upfront plus a three-month security deposit—a full fifty thousand federal dollars. Just then, Zhang Yuanqing noticed the boy named Cao Chao eyeing the expensive snacks in the glass dish, secretly swallowing his saliva. Annie had bought those snacks at the supermarket. "Help yourself if you want some," Zhang Yuanqing offered. "Mom doesn't let me eat snacks. I'll get beaten," Cao Chao said, shaking his head while drooling. "Oh, then don't eat them." Zhang Yuanqing wasn't one to force anyone. "I'm not that scared of Mom's beatings, though." Following his heart's true desire, the boy reached out and grabbed a handful of snacks. Standing by the coffee table with his little belly sticking out, he focused entirely on devouring them. Zhang Yuanqing took the chance to probe the little brat about the landlord's family. Cao Chao's father was named Cao Qing, originally hailing from Soup-Brewing Province. He had immigrated to the Freedom Federation with his parents as a child and made a living running a small diner. Over decades of effort spanning two generations, he now owned six chain restaurants and two snack shops in Chinatown, while also being a major landlord with six properties. The landlady was named Yang Xiujuan. When she married Cao Qing, the family only had two restaurants. Back then, public security in Chinatown had been quite poor, plagued by diners dining and dashing, law enforcement demanding bribes, and harassment from local Chinese gangs. The complicated and chaotic environment had bred an extremely fiery temper in Yang Xiujuan. Without being fierce, survival had been impossible. "Every time Dad and Mom fight, Dad calls her a tigress, and then Mom beats him up. Sometimes my sister calls Mom a tigress too, and Mom beats her up. Only I never call Mom a tigress, because I'm afraid of getting beaten." For a handful of snacks, Cao Chao completely sold out his family. "Yet you just said 'tigress' three times," Zhang Yuanqing pointed out sharply. The little boy's expression changed, and the snacks in his mouth instantly lost their flavor. "I won't tell your mom. Tell me more about your sister," Zhang Yuanqing said. Relieved, the snacks became delicious again. Cao Chao nibbled on chocolate-covered nuts like a hamster and spoke about his brawl-loving sister. In Cao Chao's eyes, his sister was an absolute demon—moody, constantly snatching his snacks and toys, and beating him up simply because looking at him annoyed her. *Discipline your little brother while he's young; your sister certainly has foresight...* Zhang Yuanqing finally understood why this child had such a bursting instinct for self-preservation at such a tender age. With a hot-tempered mother and a violent sister, any lack of survival instincts would have caused him to perish in early childhood. "My sister also knows magic, so I don't dare rebel against her," Cao Chao added with lingering fear. "Magic?" Zhang Yuanqing's interest was piqued. Feigning skepticism, he said, "That's just a trick to fool kids." "It's not!" Questioned, the boy furrowed his light brows and yelled, "She showed me! She can shoot electricity, just like Pikachu!" With that, he clenched his fists, strained as though trying to pass a bowel movement, and roared, "Thunderbolt!" Zhang Yuanqing sensed Cao Chao's emotions. He wasn't lying; he was telling the truth. *In other words, that girl named Cao Qianxiu is a Thunder Mage? Uh, no wonder she's irritable and loves to fight. If I recall correctly, the traits of a Thunder Mage are hot-tempered, irritable, and just—well, relatively just—which is why Thunder Mages control the Inspector role in Heaven's Punishment...* Zhang Yuanqing's thoughts raced, and he asked, "When your mom and dad fight, does either of them shoot Thunderbolts?" The boy shook his head. *Makes sense. Generally speaking, the odds of an entire family being Spirit Realm walkers are minuscule. It couldn't be that coincidental... Then again, if this whole family are Spirit Realm walkers, amassing this kind of family fortune would be very easy to understand.* Zhang Yuanqing pondered for a moment, then asked, "Are your mom and dad away from home for a few days every month?" "How did you know?" the boy asked in surprise. This older brother was amazing. Not only did he know his dad loved Romance of the Three Kingdoms, but he also knew his parents were often away from home. He felt a little frightened, wondering if the older brother also knew that he had wet the bed last night. Zhang Yuanqing grabbed another handful of snacks and stuffed them into the boy's pockets. "Just a wild guess. Don't tell anyone what we talked about today. If you manage that, you can come over anytime to eat snacks. Run along home for now. Once we finish eating, I'll return the box and plates." "Okay!" Cao Chao nodded happily and dashed out of the apartment like a whirlwind. Watching the boy leave, Zhang Yuanqing ate two more pieces of bushuai before Annie finally emerged from the bathroom. She was wrapped in a bath towel with a turban around her head. A few golden strands fell loose, exuding a mature and languid charm. The bath towel wrapped snugly around her heavy bosom, revealing a deep, snow-white cleavage. The hem of the towel ended around her thighs, showcasing long, straight, beautifully contoured legs that looked as pale as congealed milk. "Ah, Cult Master, what are you eating? Is there a share for Annie?" The blonde beauty happily sidled over, acting as if she were so enticed by the food that she hadn't even had time to change. Zhang Yuanqing handed her the chopsticks. Using them rather clumsily, Annie picked up a "tangyuan" and popped it into her mouth. The sweet, tender, chewy texture made her eyes light up. "What is this?" "Just think of it as tangyuan." "What is tangyuan?" "Don't worry about it, just eat..." Zhang Yuanqing picked up a piece of pastry and took a bite. "I just gathered some intel. The landlord's family are all Spirit Realm walkers. What a coincidence, huh?" Chewing the glutinous ball, Annie's eyes widened in shock, her expression promptly turning grave. "Could they be officials, official informants, or members of a rogue cultivator organization? Should we change locations?" Zhang Yuanqing pondered for a moment and shook his head. "No need. Just act as if we don't know anything. We'll observe first and try to get on their good side. We might even find a use for them later." "Oh," Annie said. She picked up another ball, but her grip slipped, and with a soft plop, the dumpling tumbled right into the depths of her cleavage. Annie immediately looked at Zhang Yuanqing, saying aggrievedly, "It... it fell inside..." Zhang Yuanqing glanced at the red syrup smudged against her fair chest and snapped, "Why are you telling me? Were you expecting me to fish it out for you?" "...I'll go wash it off right now." Annie hastily got up and headed toward the bathroom, curling her lip in a pout once her back was turned. *Hmph, she seems to have forgotten I'm an Illusionist. Intentionally dropping a dumpling into her chest to seduce me? Laughable. Am I that easy to seduce?* Zhang Yuanqing watched Annie's round hips, struggling to look away. The Desire class's "Perfect Body" and "Charm" held a fatal attraction for any adult male, like mice spotting rice or a lit match meeting dry tinder. Cao Chao returned empty-handed to Unit 301 next door and bellowed, "Mom, I'm heading to my room! The big brother next door said he'd return the dishes once they finish eating!" He sprinted toward his bedroom. The landlady gave chase with brisk strides and grabbed her younger son by his collar. "What's stuffed in your pockets?" "Nothing!" Cao Chao hurriedly covered them with his hands. "Bulging like that, do you think I'm blind?" Without another word, the landlady bent down, seized her son by the ankles, lifted him upside down, and shook him. A cascade of chocolates, milk candies, dried fruits, and cookies clattered out of his pockets. "The big brother shoved them into my hands! I told him I didn't want them!" Cao Chao deflected blame with intense survival instinct. "Quite wealthy, isn't he?" The landlady eyed the pile, gathered the snacks up, and declared, "Confiscated." Cao Chao forced a smile. "Okay, they're all for Mom to eat." Then he cast a weak, helpless, and pitiful look toward his father, who was enjoying afternoon tea at the dining table. Cao Qing was an average-height middle-aged man, slightly chubby with a small belly. His facial features were proper, making him appear steady and dignified at first glance, though a streak of shrewd slickness occasionally flashed in his eyes. His hairline wasn't high, but his hair was somewhat thinning, combed into an oiled style popular in the eighties and nineties. His clothing was also ordinary—gray pants, a black T-shirt, and a pair of flip-flops. Nothing about him gave away that he was the owner of a restaurant chain. Ignoring his son's plea for help, Cao Qing sipped his tea and said, "Our daughter said the new tenants in 403 are a couple, and the woman is a foreigner? How do they seem? Are they reliable? Paying half a year's rent upfront plus three months' deposit—nobody in this world is that foolish. Make sure we don't get scammed. What if they stay for half a year and turn into squatter thieves?" "I'm a better judge of character than you!" the landlady snapped back. "The boy graduated from Songhai University, and the foreign girl is a language teacher. Their education levels seem quite solid. How about we have them tutor our daughter? Hiring a private tutor is too expensive." Cao Qing chuckled and shook his head. "Let's wait and see." The next morning. Zhang Yuanqing got up, washed, and sat at the dining table to eat the hearty breakfast Annie had lovingly prepared: toast, milk, fried eggs, bacon, and sausages. All high-calorie foods. In truth, Zhang Yuanqing would have preferred soup dumplings, deep-fried dough sticks, and soy milk, but considering that Annie had gotten up early and gone through the trouble, he didn't want to pour cold water on her efforts. After breakfast, Zhang Yuanqing hailed a cab toward the company where Chen Shu worked. In her younger years, Chen Shu had worked at a major corporation. After accumulating enough experience, she had resigned and moved abroad, partnering with several others to start a foreign trading business and become her own boss. That trading company was located in New York Port, very close to the Statue of Liberty. New York Port was the largest port in the Freedom Federation. Half a century ago, its throughput had already reached the hundred-million-ton mark, and its cargo volume had been breaking records consistently in recent years. It was precisely New York Port and the financial district of Man Island that had shaped New York County into a world-class metropolis. The two took a ferry across the waters and stepped onto New York Port—the headquarters of the Church of the Sea God. Chen Shu's company was called "Lianhua Trading." Following their navigation, Zhang Yuanqing and Annie located the firm in an aging office building. The receptionist was an ethnic Chinese woman wearing delicate makeup, though her looks were at best modest. Zhang Yuanqing walked straight up and said in Chinese, "Hello, I'm looking for Chen Shu. She's your general manager." A polite smile had just begun to form on the receptionist's face when she froze. "I'm sorry, sir, but our general manager is not named Chen Shu." *Not named Chen Shu?* Zhang Yuanqing frowned. "Her title might have changed. I'm looking for Chen Shu, one of your company's shareholders. Could you look her up for me?" The receptionist shook her head. "I'm very sorry. If you know our shareholder, you can give her a call..." Before she could finish, Zhang Yuanqing cut in impatiently, "Look it up!" His dark brown pupils turned transparent, his voice imbued with a magical force that compelled obedience. A wave of dread and compliance washed over the receptionist, and she stammered, "P-Please wait a moment..." She leaned over to tap away on her keyboard. A moment later, she looked up, her expression fearful yet helpless. "I'm sorry, but our company has no such person." *No such person? My fists are itching...* Zhang Yuanqing gritted his teeth, thinking to himself that his mind must have been clouded to actually believe Chen Shu. Not a single word out of that old woman's mouth was true. The two had no choice but to head back the way they came. On the ferry, Zhang Yuanqing asked in a low voice, "Annie, when you worked as Mr. Bill's assistant, did you ever see my mom?" Mr. Bill and Annie knew his real name, and they naturally knew Chen Shu was his mother. Annie shook her head. "I began assisting Mr. Bill late last year. He's a good boss with no interest in women, so I only needed to perform my duties." Zhang Yuanqing took a deep breath. "Call Mr. Bill and ask... Never mind, forget it. Bill and my mom are partners; they're in cahoots." He felt an even stronger need to secretly investigate Chen Shu. This trip to New York County would definitely strip that riddler mother of her disguise and reveal her true colors. Taking the ferry back to Man Island, Zhang Yuanqing headed to Colored Flag Bank and deposited five hundred thousand federal dollars into the bank card issued by the Bounty Hunter Guild. Then he opened the Bounty Hunter app, navigated to the background portal, and posted a bounty request: #Compilation of the Demon Lord's Lovers in the Freedom Federation# Mission Details: The buyer requests basic information on the Demon Lord's lovers, including but not limited to family background, position, organization, level, photos, and detailed accounts of their relationships with the Demon Lord. Taking missions as a bounty hunter required assessments, points, and ranks, but posting a bounty had no restrictions whatsoever. In this day and age, paying clients were always king, and who would ever bar the king at the door? Zhang Yuanqing's other objective in coming to the Freedom Federation was to locate the Demon Lord's beloved mistress and gather the map fragments. *I sure hope none of the Demon Lord's lovers is that Chief Executive Officer of Heaven's Punishment. Otherwise, I'll just have to abandon collecting the fragments, drop to my knees before the Demon Lord, and shout from the bottom of my heart: Total legend!* Zhang Yuanqing prayed silently. The two took a cab back to Chinatown. Annie craved street food and dragged Zhang Yuanqing along to buy a steamer of soup dumplings. As they were walking home, they happened to see the landlord's younger son, Cao Chao, playing with a basketball by the roadside. Just then, the roar of engines erupted as four motorcycles sped down the crowded street. One of them deliberately veered toward Cao Chao, slowed down abruptly, and the rider kicked out, sending the boy tumbling to the ground. The riders burst into laughter and sped away. The basketball bounced and rolled into the middle of the road. Panicked, Cao Chao scrambled to his feet to retrieve it. On the sidewalk, Zhang Yuanqing frowned. He could sense that the rider had done it intentionally, harboring an emotional cocktail of revenge, vindictive pleasure, and outright malice. Honk, honk—! A black sedan came speeding along. The driver, caught off guard by the child suddenly dashing into the street, leaned furiously on the horn. Cao Chao shuddered, paralyzed with fright. Farther away, in front of a street food stall, a long-haired young woman screamed, "Cao Chao, get back here!" She dropped her food and dashed forward like mad, but she was too far away to make it in time. Just as despair seized her, a figure flashed past, darting ahead of the black sedan to scoop up Cao Chao and retreat swiftly. The speeding car brushed right past him.