The Bizarre Detective Agency

Chapter 153: Old Man Pick's Laundry

Old Man Pick's Laundry.

The oldest establishment in the Waterfront Quarter.

So old that every resident on the street had known it since childhood.

The laundry's owner was Old Man Pick, but not the first one. The current Old Man Pick received it from Pick Junior, who received it from Pick Junior's junior, who received it from Pick Junior's junior's junior... And so on, for an unknown number of generations, until the business fell into the hands of its current proprietor.

A family business, passed down from generation to generation.

At that moment, Lu Li stood before Old Man Pick's Laundry—or rather, what was left of it.

Because there was no door.

In the empty room stood tables and chairs that hadn't been cleared away. An elderly man sat behind the counter, wrapped in a leather jacket, dozing in the light of an oil lamp.

The atmosphere was reminiscent of a Mind Level testing site, but everything Lu Li saw told him: "No, this isn't the place."

Although Lu Li knew nothing about Mind Level testing sites, he doubted they were so dilapidated that a front door, destroyed by the hurricane, had still not been replaced.Lu Li’s lingering presence in the doorway finally drew the old man’s attention. He stopped nodding off and straightened up behind the counter, looking at Lu Li with surprise before his gaze shifted to the empty space behind him.

"A ghost?"

"A ghost."

"An exorcist?"

"An exorcist."

"Mind Level test?"

"Mind Level test."

By repeating the old man's words as if asking a question each time, Lu Li finally confirmed that this was, in fact, a Mind Level testing site.

The old man started grumbling that Lu Li had no respect for his elders, bothering him so late at night, and told him to come back in the morning, as the place was now closed.

Misunderstanding the procedure for the Mind Level test, Lu Li turned to leave, intending to come back the next day.

The old man called after him, warning him not to bring the ghost along tomorrow. The evil spirit that materialized during the test might mistake her for a meal.

After all, the being that materializes one's Mind Level is itself an Evil Spirit.

Lu Li and Anna returned to Sailor Street around nine in the evening. Lu Li finished the leftover bread, borrowed a basin from a neighbor, filled it with water in the laundry room, and soaked the clothes he had brought back from the Shadow Swamp.

Scrub... scrub... scrub...

Rolling his sleeves up to his elbows, Lu Li sat on a small stool at the kitchen entrance and began to wash the clothes.

The scent of soaproot filled the room.

Anna really wanted to help—she loved the cozy, domestic feeling—but such painstaking work was a nightmare for her.

Especially since she didn't know how to do laundry.

Anna flopped down on the sofa behind Lu Li. Knowing he couldn't see her, she dropped her ladylike pretense.

Although, that pretense had long since worn thin.

"That man we saw on the street... that was..."

"Yes."

Scrub... scrub... scrub...

"It's so sad. His wife and son are waiting for him at home..."

Scrub... scrub... scrub...

"I can't imagine how he found his way back across the vast ocean."

Splish... splash...

"It seems he's the only ghost who came back. Poor man. It's good that he got to see his family before he disappears. Though... it's strange..."

Scrub... scrub... scrub...

"...his aura is leaking out, like from a punctured balloon."

Lu Li stopped scrubbing and, turning around, looked at Anna, who hastily sat up straight. "What did you say?"

"It's so sad, his wife..." Anna, flustered, started repeating herself from the beginning.

"The last part."

"His aura is leaking... like from a punctured balloon..."

"Elaborate."

"Uh... describe the balloon..." Anna's voice grew quieter, a flustered blush rising on her cheeks.

"Describe the leaking aura. I couldn't see it."

"Hmm... well... his aura was leaking from his head, rising higher and higher before vanishing. And... his power is fading. He might... die again soon..."

Slap!

Lu Li dropped the clothes back into the basin, splashing dirty water.

Anna, noticing Lu Li's expression had turned serious, couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong?"

"Above my head... do the people and ghosts touched by the Bloody Tentacles have something similar?"

Anna looked at Lu Li's head in confusion. There was nothing there. The next moment, she suddenly realized what was worrying him. "You think he was a victim of the Bloody Tentacles, just like you?!"

"Yes."

"You don't have it, but the others..." Anna paused to think, then answered, flustered, "I don't remember... I'm sorry..."

Lost in thought, Lu Li picked up the clothes again, and the sound of scrubbing mingled with his voice. "It might not be the Bloody Tentacles. Maybe I'm wrong, or maybe something else happened to him."

It all felt like more than just a coincidence... he wanted to believe he was wrong.

After washing the clothes, Lu Li poured out the dirty water, which resembled liquid mud, refilled the basin with clean water, rinsed the laundry, and wrung it out.

He hung the coat, trousers, and shirt—now twice as heavy—on a line in the kitchen, placing the basin underneath to catch the dripping water. Then, Lu Li turned on the tap and washed his face.

Soon after, looking a little pale, Lu Li emerged from the kitchen, his sleeves rolled down.

"Aren't you going to bed yet?" Anna glanced at the clock. It was already ten.

"In a minute," Lu Li sat down at the table, opened a drawer, and took out a sheet of paper tucked inside a book.

He added new items to his list of tasks.

[Urgent: Get rid of the ghost haunting me (Completed)]

[Urgent: Figure out where I am (Completed) - Save 1000 shillings and learn more from Gades (Completed)]

[Urgent: Find the source of the anomaly (Completed) - Figure out what "the door" is]

[Urgent: Get rid of the Bloody Tentacles in my head]

[Secondary: Find a new place to live]

[Secondary: Buy books and learn more about this world]

[Secondary: Save more shillings]

[Secondary: Learn more about the Fallow Lands and the depths of the sea]

The number of secondary tasks was growing, and not a single one had been resolved.

But all of that would take time.

After a moment of thought, Lu Li crossed out the items about buying books and studying the Fallow Lands, adding a new line below them.

[Urgent: Learn about this world]

Lu Li didn't add anything new, like learning about the Investigators and the Night's Watch. Too many tasks would scatter his focus.

In any case, he would try to contact them tomorrow after the Mind Level test.

Tucking the paper back into the book and closing the drawer, Lu Li looked up at Anna, who was sitting across from him.

"Aren't you going to bed?"

"I want to sleep out here," Anna replied timidly.

She felt that being outside was better than being in the painting—as long as Lu Li was nearby.

Lu Li loosened his tie and cuffs and walked around the table. "The bedroom is yours."

"What about you?"

"I'll take the sofa."

"But that doesn't seem right..." Anna murmured, secretly delighted.

"Then you can sleep on the sofa."

"Uh..."

A flustered Anna watched as Lu Li took his coat from the rack and lay down on the sofa by the window.

Blinking, Anna floated into the bedroom.

"Good night," Anna said before she drifted off to sleep.

Once again, there was no reply.

The quiet sound of rain outside the window filled the detective agency.