The Bizarre Detective Agency

Chapter 267: 5,000 Shillings

Lu Li folded the paper and tucked it into its case. The black crow finished its meal. Lu Li opened the window, and the bird, with a beat of its wings, flew out, dissolving into the thick night darkness.

Anna thought that was the end of it, but then she saw Lu Li pick something up from the table. His seemingly empty palm appeared to hold something, which he then tossed out the window.

Anna gave Lu Li a questioning look.

"That's another crow, one you can't see," Lu Li explained.

After a moment's confusion, Anna suddenly remembered the thing that was invisible to others.

"The Door?" Anna asked, invoking the object whose name people could not speak.

"Yes," Lu Li replied.

"Hmm... So how are we going to deal with it?" Anna suddenly recalled the major problem that had been haunting Lu Li.

"We'll wait for a response from the Investigators' headquarters," Lu Li said.

If the Door remained unchanged, Lu Li could hold out for a long time."When you hear it, they can see you. When you see it, they can touch you. Under no circumstances should you touch them..." The words from the diary cut off abruptly, but the rest could be inferred. Lu Li had to stay close to the Door to preserve what was left of his sanity, which meant his movements were restricted. If he touched the Door, or any creature belonging to it, he would be pulled inside.

Lu Li hadn't heard 'it' yet, which meant the Door hadn't begun to affect him. It was still trying to find him, and as soon as it did... Lu Li would hear it.

Lu Li didn't fully trust what was written in the diary. First, Bill Eddy had been on the verge of madness when he wrote it. Second, Bill Eddy might not have recorded the truth, or perhaps he didn't know it himself.

The crow Lu Li had tossed out the window did not return, instead lurking in the darkness, waiting for the next attack.

Time slipped by, approaching ten o'clock. Anna lay down on the bed to rest, and after her nightmares finally subsided, she suggested Lu Li go to sleep as well.

Lu Li didn't refuse. But just before he fell asleep, a familiar rap sounded at the window.

Anna heard it too.

Opening the window to let the black crow in, Lu Li sat up in bed, threw on his coat, and, taking out the note, unfolded it.

[Greetings, Investigator]

[We have received the information you provided regarding the 'Cries for Help in the Alley' incident. Your involvement and the details have been registered. Verification typically takes up to three days, after which we will inform you of the results.]

[You may also monitor the situation. Should new information arise, we will forward it to you. If you wish to continue your observation, please keep this note.]

[Investigator's Lodge, Khimfast]

The local Investigator base had responded quickly, but the verification would take some time, likely after their return to Belfast.

Anna sat beside Lu Li, holding the romance novel she'd brought. The night passed peacefully. Nothing unexpected occurred, and the vengeful spirit they had driven away did not return for revenge.

Lu Li was awakened by quiet footsteps downstairs. He opened his eyes. In the bright, almost blinding light, Anna was reading a book. The hand of the alarm clock was just a hair's breadth from the number six.

Dawn had broken.

Anna, sitting at the table, sensed something, and her long eyelashes fluttered. She looked up at Lu Li and smiled. "You're awake?"

"Mhm," Lu Li replied.

Lu Li sat up as Anna opened the curtains. The window was fogged over and streaked with raindrops. To the east, where the window faced, there was no sign of morning freshness. A fine, drizzling rain was falling.

Anna extinguished the oil lamp, but after a moment's thought, she left the electric light on.

Getting out of bed, Lu Li bent down to put on his boots, ignoring his coat, and went into the bathroom.

Anna followed him and stopped at the bathroom door, watching from the hallway as Mery prepared their breakfast.

A few minutes later, Lu Li returned to the room, having washed his face and hands. He looked out the window. The sky had brightened slightly but remained overcast.

The streetlights below had already gone out, and the lights in the windows of the houses stretching into the distance had almost all vanished.

The visibility outside slowly improved until it stabilized. From downstairs, Mery's voice called them to breakfast.

Lu Li and Anna went downstairs. Mery, as always, had prepared a hearty breakfast: toast, eggs, bacon, and fresh milk she had bought outside.

Beside the plates lay a stack of 5,000 shillings.

Mery pushed the money toward Lu Li and Anna.

Lu Li made no move to take it.

Anna blinked, seeing that Lu Li seemed uninterested in the money, and took the stack of shillings herself.

Mery's smile widened. "When are you planning to head back?"

"As soon as we've dug up Enni, we'll head straight back," Anna replied after a moment's thought.

Mery seemed slightly taken aback. "So soon?"

"Yes! We need to get back to Belfast before nightfall," Anna answered.

"Yes, of course... It's dangerous at night..." Mery murmured, then smiled again and continued her conversation with Anna.

Perhaps because of Lu Li's presence, Anna spoke a little more than she had in Mery's room the day before.

Twenty minutes later, they finished breakfast. Mery cleared the table and went to her room to change.

"We'll give the money back to her later," Lu Li said.

Anna didn't understand. "Don't you need the money? Why didn't you take it?"

"Because of the debt," Lu Li told a stunned Anna. "Mery helped us. If this world begins to crumble and she finds herself in danger, we will be obligated to help her."

This was the reason why Lu Li, having noticed the world was getting worse and planning to build a shelter, tried to avoid making new acquaintances.

He couldn't remain indifferent to strangers, let alone people he knew.

"Hmm..." Anna pondered for a moment, but quickly found her own solution. "We'll build the shelter first. As for the money... I took it. Worst case, we can just consider it a loan from Mery."

Lu Li remained silent, as if in agreement.

Anna was pleased that she had managed to convince Lu Li, but then she remembered something and her expression fell. "But what will happen to the people we know if your predictions come true? To Daisy, to Mery...?"

"We can warn them, as I always do," Lu Li replied. He was constantly and subtly trying to influence Tesla's thinking.

"And that's all?"

"Remember the Deep Sea Stone?" Lu Li asked. Anna nodded, and he continued, "The price of Deep Sea Stone is constantly rising. Some people are buying it up in large quantities. I think the three major organizations have realized the world is becoming more dangerous and have started building proper shelters."

"I'm an Investigator. I can help some people get into a shelter."

Anna sighed in relief, no longer worried about her friends and loved ones, but she had one more question. "But if they're already building shelters... why do we need to do it ourselves?"

"I trust us more than I rely on others," Lu Li answered, a cold calm in his voice.

However, Anna was focused on something else.

He said 'us'...

Anna felt her long-cold heart begin to beat again.