Records of Strange Tales from the Jianghu

Less than a meter into the room, there was a large wooden board standing upright, plastered with movie posters of all sizes. The largest one featured Joey Wong.

To the left of the wooden board was a clear path to enter. The prerequisite was buying a ticket at the small table to the right of the board.

Behind the small table sat a woman in her early thirties. She wore a red tank top and jeans, and was tall and slender. Her tank top had a low neckline, revealing a butterfly tattoo on her collarbone.

At that moment, she held a cigarette between her fingers with her left hand and pressed a pager with her right. Without looking up, she asked, "How many people?"

"Four. Sister Mei, it's been a while. You've gotten even prettier."

"Sister Mei, isn't your husband here? Are you watching the shop alone today?"

Pan Zi and Lei Zi paid while striking up a conversation, saying nice things.

Actually, they weren't very familiar with Sister Mei. But they were still at an age where they weren't entirely naive. As long as they were sweet-talkers and observant, if there weren't many customers, they could shamelessly stay longer by buying a ticket for one showing and watching an extra one or two.

Sister Mei put the money into the drawer, issued four tickets, and blew smoke rings as she cursed, "Who knows where that bastard ran off to today!"

Sister Mei's husband was nicknamed "Leopard" and was a relatively well-known hoodlum in the area, referred to as Brother Leopard.

Without that kind of background, it wouldn't be suitable for Sister Mei, a woman, to run this kind of video arcade.

After getting their tickets, Li Zhuiyuan and Run Sheng followed Pan Zi and Lei Zi through the left side. That wooden board not only separated the passage but also served to block the light from the door.

The space inside was quite large, with low benches arranged in a circle in the middle, resembling a makeshift cinema.

In the past, township cinemas could still maintain popularity by relying on collective tickets from local state-owned factories and units, and by serving as temporary event stages. Now, after gradually shedding their state-owned attributes, they inevitably declined.

This created an opportunity for private video arcades like Sister Mei's to grow rapidly and spread.

Under the north wall was a long cabinet, on top of which sat an old color television, and below it, a VCR.

Run Sheng excitedly leaned over to Li Zhuiyuan's ear and said, "Xiao Yuan, this TV is much bigger than the one Grandpa bought yesterday."

Li Zhuiyuan smiled and replied, "Even if this one is bigger, everyone watches it together. No matter how small your home is, only you watch it."

Run Sheng also nodded, "That makes sense. But at night, all the channels show a static image and make a 'beep' sound.

I almost thought I'd broken the new TV right after buying it. I was so scared. Luckily, there was a channel again in the morning."

"Brother Run Sheng, maybe the people at the TV station also need to rest at night."

"Mm," Run Sheng said regretfully, "What a shame. Can't they just work rotating night shifts?"

"Brother Run Sheng, let's sit down."

Although it was afternoon, the place was already occupied by some people. The movie currently playing was "Prison on Fire," starring Chow Yun-fat and Tony Leung Ka-fai.

The movie was currently halfway through.

If there were no major surprises, the screening times were also basically fixed. Therefore, the timing of their ticket purchase was precisely calculated by Pan Zi and the others, allowing them to get half a movie for free.

It wasn't easy for these young boys to get their hands on spare change, so they naturally learned how to make every penny count, spending the least amount of money to maximize their entertainment.

Li Zhuiyuan also noticed a mysterious, deep little door with a curtain in the southeast corner of the video arcade.

It didn't seem to be used for cooking, as there was no smell of oil smoke.

Even though it was only half-way through, it didn't stop everyone from quickly immersing themselves in the movie's plot.

Time passed quickly as they watched. With the iconic melancholic cinematic language of Hong Kong films of that era, the movie ended.

Actually, before it ended, Sister Mei had already come in and stood by the TV, waiting. Without regard for ruining the atmosphere, she announced that the next film was "A Better Tomorrow" and asked those who wanted to continue to prepare.

After the movie ended, a few people left because they had other things to do, but most chose to buy tickets for the next showing.

Sister Mei's gaze swept over Pan Zi and the others, and she didn't say anything, tacitly allowing them to have bought tickets for this showing.

"A Better Tomorrow" began to play.

Hong Kong cinema was at its peak during this period. It not only dominated almost the entire Chinese-speaking cultural sphere but also had a significant influence in Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia.

The VCR tapes in the video arcade were mainly Hong Kong films, with occasional foreign films, but their covers were very explicit.

However, after just watching a Chow Yun-fat movie, and then another one, Li Zhuiyuan felt a bit unable to get into it.

This feeling was very similar to when he was in the family compound, and some older brothers, to thank him for helping them with their homework, had insisted on making him watch "Ultraman Leo" all day.

They even fast-forwarded through the opening and ending credits, watching one episode after another. What was once the indescribable happiness of one episode a day became mere aesthetic fatigue from the same repetitive formula when consumed in large quantities.

Lei Zi had gone out earlier to change the tape and had bought four bottles of soda from the small shop next door, one for each of them.

The money earned from hauling bricks at the kiln wasn't much, and half of it was collected by their parents. The money left in their hands was only enough for this much spending.

Just fifteen minutes into the movie, four young men entered. The one leading them, not minding the heat, wore an ill-fitting vest, while the other three had taken off their shirts and hung them over their shoulders, exuding an air of insolence.

They were smoking and talking loudly, deliberately letting out exaggerated laughter.

They had likely seen this movie before. They were chatting and spoiling the plot, and habitually added a swear word at the beginning or end of every sentence.

People around them were displeased, but no one said anything, as there were four of them.

Pan Zi and Lei Zi quietly introduced these four men to Run Sheng and Li Zhuiyuan, mentioning their reputations and street cred.

Teenagers at this age had a peculiar sense of admiration for these kinds of riffraff-like figures, as if being acquainted with them was something remarkable.

However, due to Li Lan, the Li family of this generation placed great importance on education. Both Pan Zi and Lei Zi were in high school. If they had dropped out after junior high, they likely would have been hanging out with them by now.

Li Zhuiyuan didn't mind the smell of smoke; after all, Li Weihan and his grandfather both smoked. However, he couldn't stand the loud voices of the four men. Unable to bear it any longer, he got up and moved to the back row by the wall, where there were chairs that were much higher than the short benches in front.

Pan Zi and Lei Zi confirmed that Li Zhuiyuan was still there, just sitting in the back, and turned back to continue watching the movie.

At this moment, the man in the suit shouted towards the back, "Sister Mei, where is she? Where is she? They've been here so long, where is she!"

Sister Mei poked her head out from behind the wooden board and cursed, "Shouting and shouting, who are you calling for? Don't you see what time it is? I'll call them over, they'll be here soon!"

"Hehehe." The man in the suit wasn't annoyed, he just whistled at Sister Mei, "Looks like Brother Leopard has had too much. Look, you're sagging."

"Look at your grandma!"

Sister Mei cursed again and disappeared from behind the wooden board.

Not long after, two women walked in. Both were over thirty, wore heavy makeup, and wore dresses.

After entering, the two women sat down on either side of Li Zhuiyuan, then lowered their heads and looked at the boy curiously.

"Oh, handsome little guy, are you waiting for your sisters here?"

"Delicate skin and tender flesh, very fair. But are you this young and already so sensible?"

The two women started to tease him.

At this moment, the two lackeys next to the man in the suit got up and walked over, each sitting down next to one of the women. Then their hands became restless, exploring, and the women didn't resist much, interacting and bantering.

Li Zhuiyuan realized that the chairs in the back row were not meant for normal audience members.

Just as he was about to get up and return to Run Sheng's side, the two pairs of men and women next to him stood up before him, lifted the curtain, and walked into a mysterious passage.

Soon, there were two sounds of doors closing. There should have been a few small compartments inside.

At this moment, the man in the suit started shouting, "Sister Mei, Sister Mei, change the tape, change the tape!"

Sister Mei poked her head out and cursed, "It's not even night yet, what tape are you changing!"

The man in the suit was dissatisfied, "Add some fire, create some atmosphere, change the tape!"

A few of the other people watching the movie also joined in the heckling.

Although Sister Mei had Brother Leopard behind her, they were all gangsters. Sometimes you could curse, but you still had to go along with them a bit. Therefore, she could only walk to the VCR, take out "A Better Tomorrow," pull out a tape from the long cabinet drawer, and put it in.

Li Zhuiyuan noticed that Pan Zi and Lei Zi began to show excitement and anticipation, like teenagers from an African tribe about to undergo the most primitive rite of passage.

Soon, the new movie began to play. It was a historical costume drama.

There was no Mandarin dubbing, only Cantonese, but fortunately, there were subtitles. However, as he watched further, he realized that subtitles didn't make much of a difference.

Initially, the plot was quite normal, with a light, dramatic feel. Li Zhuiyuan saw a short man selling flatbreads and thought this must be the Hong Kong version of "Water Margin."

It wasn't until a man and a woman entered the room to drink, then lay down on the table, and their clothes began to come off, that Li Zhuiyuan realized what kind of movie this was.

Pan Zi and Lei Zi's eyes widened, more engrossed than when watching Chow Yun-fat's movies, afraid of missing any detail, as if they wanted to imprint every frame into their minds to savor later.

Li Zhuiyuan felt that his two "brothers" would never be so focused when looking at the blackboard in class.

Run Sheng's face began to turn red, and he lowered his head. It wasn't that he was being coy; he was genuinely embarrassed to watch.

This period was also the golden age of Hong Kong and Taiwan's midnight movies, which produced a series of classics that left a significant mark in film history.

A moment later, the two men who had gone in earlier came out. They nonchalantly pulled out cigarettes and lit them, as if trying to use the smoke to cover up some awkwardness.

"So fast?" The man in the suit showed no regard for his subordinates' dignity. "I haven't even worked up the mood yet."

Despite saying that, he didn't want to wait any longer. He got up with another lackey and walked into that deep passage.

Then, before the passionate scene in the movie had even finished, the two of them came out.

Now, all four of them were sitting in their chairs, smoking, no longer rowdy as before, finally quiet.

It was as if they were interpreting what it meant to put down the butcher's knife and immediately become a Buddha.

After a while, the man in the suit started shouting, "Sister Mei, Sister Mei, play 'A Better Tomorrow'!"

In a state of Buddhahood, one's heart is compassionate and cannot bear to see "killing."

"Damn it, so many demands!"

Sister Mei was indeed annoyed, but she could also understand. She went back to retrieve and change the tape, and adjusted the progress, continuing to play the movie from where she had stopped.

Afterward, Sister Mei deliberately looked at them, a smile on her lips, with a hint of mockery.

She knew when men were like toothless tigers.

The four men indeed avoided her gaze, as if they had suddenly become gentlemen who would not look at impropriety.

The two women were still sitting in the back. They shouldn't have come to work so early; they were called in ahead of time to do four quick, impromptu favors.

At this point, they were too lazy to go back, as they would have to come again after nightfall.

Not long after, they got up and started sitting next to the moviegoers, talking and chatting intimately, their fingers also caressing the men.

At first, the two chosen men refused righteously, then politely declined, and then feigned resistance with a push and pull...

Then, they all sighed and stood up, as if compelled by circumstances to offer themselves to the tiger, or like helping others by doing good deeds.

Finally, with the resolve of "If I don't go to hell, who will,"

They were led into a deep, dark passageway.

Meanwhile, Pan Zi, Lei Zi, and Run Sheng were completely ignored from start to finish.

The women were perceptive and knew which people were not worth their time.

If there was someone good-looking, they wouldn't mind sitting with them to watch a movie and chat. They'd be happy even if they weren't paid, as such needs were always mutual.

But unfortunately, Pan Zi and the others didn't meet their standards. There was one boy who was very good-looking, but he was too young; if only he were a few years older.

However, since there were fewer people at the afternoon showing, most of them were there purely to watch the movie. The women quickly ran out of potential targets, so they stopped sitting in their chairs and went out to chat with Sister Mei.

By the time the movie ended, it was already dusk.

Seeing that there weren't many people that night, Pan Zi and Lei Zi wisely moved from the middle section to the edge, preparing to sneak in for another showing.

Li Zhuiyuan had to go home for dinner, so he first said goodbye to Pan Zi and Lei Zi, and then left the video arcade with Run Sheng.

Run Sheng liked watching movies, but he loved eating even more.

Li Zhuiyuan went to the small shop next door and bought four bottles of soda and several bags of snacks, planning to give them to Pan Zi and Lei Zi.

When he passed Sister Mei's small table, she was talking with the two women.

They had a cooperative relationship: Sister Mei provided the venue and lookout, and they had to split each deal with her.

Seeing Li Zhuiyuan return with items in hand, Sister Mei teased, "Oh, little brother, are you here to bring us snacks? That's too kind of you."

As she spoke, Sister Mei reached out as if to take them.

Her intention was to tease the boy and play a joke. Who would have thought that instead of holding onto his things and backing away, the boy would actively lean closer, making it easier for her to take them?

She really did take a bottle of soda.

Li Zhuiyuan then placed a bag of spicy strips in front of her.

This action, however, left Sister Mei a bit flustered.

Then, Li Zhuiyuan went inside and gave the soda and the remaining bags of snacks to Lei Zi and Pan Zi.

When Li Zhuiyuan came back out, Sister Mei pointed to the soda and spicy strips on the table: "Take them away. How can I possibly accept things from a child like you?"

"It's fine, please have them."

Li Zhuiyuan shook his head. He had no intention of trying to please Sister Mei, and he probably wouldn't come to this video arcade again. But Sister Mei had let them watch half a movie for free today, and Pan Zi and Lei Zi were still inside, implicitly allowed to continue watching.

"Hehehe."

Sister Mei and the two women behind her all laughed, finding the boy quite amusing.

Just then, a shout came from outside. An old man was riding a tricycle, shouting as he went. On the back of the tricycle lay a middle-aged man sprawled out, his hands and feet dangling outside the vehicle, like a turtle flipped onto its back.

Li Zhuiyuan noticed that the middle-aged man's fingers were all bluish, and his lips were a terrifying shade of purple.

Sister Mei rushed out anxiously and started arguing loudly with the old man on the tricycle.

The old man quickly waved his hands, explaining aggrievedly that he had only been paid to transport the person and it wasn't his fault.

The sequence of events became clear amidst the argument.

The unconscious middle-aged man was Brother Leopard, Sister Mei's man. He had gone to a bathhouse in Shigang Town that afternoon for a "big back rub."

Li Zhuiyuan didn't understand why anyone would go to a bathhouse in the summer.

He also didn't know what a "big back rub" meant.

He could only assume it was a more vigorous back massage, and that Brother Leopard must not have been able to handle it, which caused him to pass out during the rub.

The bathhouse owner didn't send the man to the hospital; instead, he called a tricycle to take him home.

Sending someone to the hospital cost money, and they weren't willing to pay it.

Sister Mei's face turned red and then white with anger. She pinched the man hard several times. The two women beside her kept trying to calm her down. Finally, Sister Mei added some money, got onto the tricycle herself, and urged the old man to ride to the town's health clinic.

But the old man, having already pedaled from Shi Gang to Shi Nan, was exhausted. His usual work in Shigang Town was short-distance. Even though Sister Mei was willing to pay more, he was simply too tired to pedal further.

However, the middle-aged man in his unconscious state was already in bad condition. Patting his face didn't wake him up. If he wasn't taken to the hospital soon, he might die. Sister Mei was desperately scolding and crying.

"Little Yuan?" Run Sheng looked at Li Zhuiyuan.

Li Zhuiyuan understood what he meant and nodded.

Run Sheng stepped forward, gestured for the old man to sit in the back, and then got on the tricycle himself.

Grandpa's family had a tricycle flatbed. Following Grandpa's instructions, Run Sheng had been practicing riding it these past few days and was now proficient.

However, for short-distance hauling, the hand-pushed flatbed was more convenient.

At this moment, although there were three adults on the tricycle, their weight was nothing to Run Sheng. He quickly rode off.

Li Zhuiyuan had to wait there for Run Sheng to return before they could go home together. However, he didn't go back into the video arcade. Instead, he went to the small shop next door and bought another bottle of soda. He sat on the bench nearby, drinking it while he waited.

Outside the small shop, there was a billiard table where two young men were playing. These two were very bad players. After watching for a while, Li Zhuiyuan couldn't help but feel sleepy. He leaned against the wall of the small shop and yawned.

About half an hour later, Li Zhuiyuan saw Brother Leopard return.

Li Zhuiyuan was very confused. The patient had returned, but where was the person who took him to the hospital?

Fortunately, before leaving home, he had told Aunt Liu and the others that he was going to town with Pan Zi to watch videos. Even if he returned late, Grandpa wouldn't worry, assuming the child was just playing and lost track of time.

Brother Leopard no longer looked as dispirited and decadent as when he was unconscious. As he walked, he exuded the swagger and disdain unique to middle-aged loafers, shaking his head and shrugging his shoulders.

It was a shame that the two young men playing billiards didn't seem to know the unwritten rules of the street. When Brother Leopard passed by them, they didn't even bother to greet him.

At this moment, Li Zhuiyuan suddenly noticed that as Brother Leopard walked out from behind the billiard table, the heel of his leather shoe was lifted.

This sight instantly reminded him of how the Big Beard father and son had walked towards the fish pond that night.

They too had walked on their tiptoes, with their heels suspended, causing them to sway unsteadily as they moved.

Li Zhuiyuan's heart suddenly tightened. He had a sudden realization.

At the same time, Brother Leopard seemed to sense a gaze fixed upon him. He stopped, still on his tiptoes, and slowly turned his head, scanning the convenience store.

Li Zhuiyuan immediately pressed his head against the wall again, picked up the soda he was holding, and took a sip, pretending to be bored as he watched the billiard table.

Brother Leopard's gaze swept back and forth a few times, but he didn't find the peculiar gaze he sensed.

Then, he continued forward on his tiptoes and entered his own video arcade.

Li Zhuiyuan remained in his original position, thinking: Even though it wasn't the seventh day after death, it was understandable that Brother Leopard was in a hurry to get home and check on things.

Immediately after, Li Zhuiyuan became worried again because Lei Zi and Pan Zi were still in the video arcade.

But they couldn't be that unlucky, could they?

Just then, a woman in a skirt came out of the video arcade. Sister Mei had asked them to keep an eye on the shop when she took Brother Leopard to the hospital.

The woman walked directly towards the convenience store, and Li Zhuiyuan was sitting at the entrance of the convenience store. This meant she would have to pass by him, almost brushing against him.

Li Zhuiyuan noticed that she too was walking on her tiptoes. However, unlike Brother Leopard earlier, there were a pair of feet beneath her feet.

It was a pair of leather shoes, very familiar.

Then, behind the woman's legs, there were a pair of men's legs pressed closely against them.

As for the parts above that, Li Zhuiyuan couldn't see them unless he looked up, but he could roughly imagine: Brother Leopard was almost plastered to her, her feet were stepping on Brother Leopard's feet, and she was practically Brother Leopard's clothing, or perhaps a puppet.

So, what was this?

However, whether it was the "Records of Strange Tales from the Jianghu" he had read before or the "Records of Demon Slaying" he was currently reading, the theme was always about the dead. The existence of something other than the dead was beyond Li Zhuiyuan's understanding.

The two young men by the billiard table whistled at the woman. She ignored them and walked up to the convenience store owner, asking for a pack of cigarettes.

The owner asked in surprise, "Why are you smoking this kind?"

The woman replied, "I want to try a different flavor."

The owner gave her the cigarettes and was about to tease her as usual, but he noticed her stern expression and swallowed the teasing words in his throat.

The woman turned around, tore open the cigarette paper, took out a cigarette, lit it, and took a deep puff.

"Hiss..."

"Hiss..."

Li Zhuiyuan heard two inhaling sounds, one male and one female.

Clearly, the woman wasn't the only one who wanted to take that puff of smoke.

The woman was obviously heading back to the video arcade, but she stopped in front of Li Zhuiyuan, bent down, and looked at the boy who was "dozing off and spacing out."

Li Zhuiyuan wanted to get away with this, as he knew Brother Leopard was invisible earlier, but the woman could be seen by those around her.

However, the woman reached out and nudged his shoulder. With no other choice, Li Zhuiyuan put on an expression of someone just waking up from a daze, looking at the woman with some confusion.

"Handsome boy, come inside and wait."

The woman's face was now very close to Li Zhuiyuan, allowing him to clearly see the second male face behind her head.

As the woman spoke, Brother Leopard's mouth also moved.

"No, it's too smoky inside, and it makes me dizzy. I'll wait here."

"It's getting dark, and it's not safe outside. Come on, come inside with your sister." The woman took Li Zhuiyuan's hand.

At that moment, Li Zhuiyuan felt two hands grabbing his wrist simultaneously, one warm and one cold.

"No, no," Li Zhuiyuan shook his head, then forcefully broke free from the "two" hands and walked to the billiard table. "I want to watch billiards. I want to learn this. These two brothers are playing really well."

"Haha, little brother, you have good taste."

"Come, little brother, stand by and watch carefully. We brothers will teach you."

The two young men, who were terrible at billiards, felt a great sense of satisfaction from the boy's flattery and eagerly pulled Li Zhuiyuan between them, letting him observe their professional moves.

The woman straightened up and did not insist on taking Li Zhuiyuan back to the video arcade. Instead, she walked back on her own.

By the billiard table, although Li Zhuiyuan was staring blankly at the white ball falling into the pocket, his peripheral vision was constantly focused on the woman's figure.

This image of two people walking stuck together was truly bizarre.

For safety, it seemed like he should call his two brothers out now.

"Hey, hey, hey!" The convenience store owner walked out, very displeased. "Hasn't one game finished yet? Either pay for another round or stop."

At this time, billiards weren't charged by time, but by games. If two strangers shared a table, the loser would pay for the current game.

Therefore, the owner hated it when a pair of friends with poor skills came, as one game took too long.

"What are you yelling about? It's just about paying more."

"Yeah, like we can't afford it."

The two young men started reaching for their pockets, but once their hands were in, they seemed to forget how to pull them out.

It was unclear if they genuinely had no money or if they were deliberately waiting for the other side to produce their money first.

Li Zhuiyuan also reached into his pocket at this moment.

The two young men immediately fixed their gazes on him.

"Little brother, do you have money?"

"Uh, yes."

"Then you can pay for another table. We were just letting you win earlier, that's why we were playing slowly. The boss is unhappy."

"Yeah, it was all for you."

"Oh, I'm sorry, my mistake." Li Zhuiyuan took out a banknote. "I'll pay for another table for you."

The two young men immediately broke into smiles.

Li Zhuiyuan then pointed at the video arcade: "My brothers Pan Zi and Lei Zi are inside. Can someone help me call them out so they can take me home?"

"Little brother, why don't you go in and call them yourself?"

Li Zhuiyuan replied shyly, "They're showing a movie with a man and a woman inside. I'd be too embarrassed to go in."

"Hahahaha!"

Li Zhuiyuan took the money to the small shop owner to pay for another table.

One of the young men went into the video arcade to help call out the people.

After a while, he came out. Li Zhuiyuan looked carefully, but there was no one behind him, and he wasn't on tiptoe.

However, Pan Zi and Lei Zi didn't come out.

"Little brother, your two brothers said for you to go home yourself. They want to watch the movie."

Another young man asked curiously, "What movie are they showing now?"

"I don't know, but it's really exciting. The guy is standing, holding the woman upside down. It's very intense."

The young man made gestures as he spoke.

"Damn it, they can film it like that? Why don't we go in and take a look?"

"I'm not going. I'm going home after this table. If I go back too late, my mom will scold me again."

Li Zhuiyuan frowned. While Pan Zi and Lei Zi could be playful sometimes, they were very responsible when it came to being older brothers.

Setting aside the fact that they should have been curious why their younger brother, who should have been home long ago, was still out, even under normal circumstances, if they knew he was calling them, they would at least come out to explain the situation in person.

But the result was just someone passing a message out, which was clearly not normal.

Still, even though the young man went in to call them and came out safely, Li Zhuiyuan still didn't dare to walk into that video arcade again.

If only Brother Run Sheng were here. Last time, during the Niu Family's memorial day, facing Blind Liu and Grandpa Shan who were possessed, Run Sheng's slap was so decisive.

At this moment, two people walked out of the video arcade, arm in arm. They were two of the four ruffians from before.

Nothing was clinging to their backs, but their steps were unsteady, as if they were drunk, and their eye sockets were sunken with dark circles around them, looking like they hadn't slept for days.

But when Li Zhuiyuan had seen them inside earlier, although they had calmed down after "becoming Buddhas," they still had spirit. How could they have become so dejected after watching a movie for a while, as if they had been completely drained?

The strangest thing was that Li Zhuiyuan noticed a wet patch on their pants around the crotch, a dark color that extended downwards, flowing down to their ankles and spilling onto their slippers.

It looked like they had wet themselves…

No, it didn't seem like urine, because it was somewhat white and thick.

Gradually, this liquid began to turn reddish-brown.

They stumbled away into the distance, leaving behind red slipper prints.

Li Zhuiyuan tugged on the sleeve of a young man playing billiards nearby and pointed at the prints.

"Look."

"What is it? What are you looking at?" The young man didn't understand.

"The footprints."

"Where are the footprints?"

Li Zhuiyuan turned his head to look again and found that the red footprints on the ground had disappeared. Even though it was summer, evaporation shouldn't have been so fast, and there was still color.

Just then, two more people came out from inside: the man in the suit and another subordinate.

These two came out one after another, with the subordinate walking in front and the man in the suit behind.

Both of them looked like they were about to fall at any moment.

The man in the suit mumbled to himself, "So intense, so intense. So satisfying, so satisfying. This movie was satisfying…"

Li Zhuiyuan's gaze shifted downwards and he noticed that the man in the suit's pants were now completely red.

Red liquid was continuously dripping down his pant leg. At first glance, one might think he had just emerged from a pool of red paint.

Li Zhuiyuan hesitated for a moment before stepping forward and asking the man in the suit, "Brother, what's going on inside?"

"What's going on?" The man in the suit looked at Li Zhuiyuan with glazed eyes. He seemed drunk and took a considerable amount of time to finally confirm that it was the boy in front of him speaking to him.

"Hehehe, let me tell you, they're showing something good in there, but it's not suitable for children, not suitable for children, hehehe."

As he spoke, the man in the suit waved and called out to a subordinate in front of him, "Wait for me, wait for me, let's go together."

With a "plop," the man in the suit fell, but he immediately got back up and continued walking. The red traces he left on the ground were like those left by a sprinkler truck that had just passed.

This time, Li Zhuiyuan didn't look away. He reached out to pull the billiards kid to look again, but as soon as his hand extended, the mark vanished from Li Zhuiyuan's sight at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The four people who had just come out seemed to be out of mortal danger, but Li Zhuiyuan could feel that they had lost something.

The sixth volume of "Yin Yang Physiognomy Explained" states: [Appearance arises from the heart; the heart is connected to the origin. If the origin is depleted, the heart scatters; if the heart scatters, the appearance declines.]

This means that facial features are not static and are influenced by real-time factors such as spirit, energy, and vitality.

Although the original facial readings of those four people could only be considered a lower-tier "lot," meaning one level below average, roughly indicating a life of muddled ignorance, now, the facial features of all four were showing signs of collapse and decline.

While his own facial readings had been quickly and accurately verified by Xue Liangliang and Zhao Hequan, Li Zhuiyuan was not superstitious. He didn't believe that by reading a face and deducing a destiny, he could define a person's entire life.

But this was like getting a check-up when you're sick; it at least indicated that the bodies of these four people had suffered significant damage.

If Pan Zi and Lei Zi had stayed inside, would they have suffered the same fate?

But what could he do now?

He had discovered that after the incident with the Little Yellow Oriole, some changes must have occurred within him, making him more sensitive to those "unclean things."

The problem was, he also realized that with this newfound sensitivity, those "unclean things" seemed to have become more interested in him.

The woman earlier, or perhaps Brother Leopard, had inexplicably wanted to lure him into the video arcade.

The billiards kid could go in and come out, but Li Zhuiyuan felt that if he went in, something unexpected would likely happen.

Finally, Li Zhuiyuan's gaze fell on the telephone on the counter next to the convenience store owner.

Fortunately, Grandpa had left him some examples before.

He walked back into the convenience store. The owner was pleased. He was quite curious; this boy seemed to have quite a bit of pocket money. He wondered which family's child he was.

"What do you want to buy this time?"

"Boss, I need to make a phone call."

"Okay, go ahead."

Li Zhuiyuan picked up the receiver and put it to his ear, his eyes thoughtful, as if recalling a phone number.

After watching for a while, the owner turned back to his accounting.

Li Zhuiyuan took the opportunity to quickly dial three numbers.

The call was answered after a few rings.

Li Zhuiyuan clearly stated his location, and during the call, he confirmed the details with the owner, receiving some corrections.

The owner thought the child must be calling his family to pick him up. Ah, indeed, his family must be well-off.

But what Li Zhuiyuan said next caused the owner's pen to drop from his hand, and his expression froze.

"I'm reporting the Sister Mei video arcade next door to this convenience store for illegally distributing obscene videos and organizing prostitution!"