The Lucky Mutual Aid Society (10)

Qian Xiaoyi walked out of the storage room. Inuyama Heita looked inside. There was no light, but he could still make out shapes relying on the light from outside, though it was very dim. The small table that had been moved in earlier was now an altar, with a memorial tablet placed on it. The tips of the three incense sticks stuck in the censer in front of the tablet had red dots that flickered faintly. The jade pendant was hanging above the memorial tablet by a red string. Even though it was a completely sealed storage room, Inuyama Heita felt a cold wind blowing out from inside, accompanied by the scent of incense, which sent a shiver down his spine.

"Hee hee..."

Inuyama Heita jumped. A child-like giggle suddenly came from inside. He wasn't sure if he was hallucinating or if there was really a sound. The ethereal smoke above the censer shifted unpredictably, slowly forming the outline of a fetus. As the smoke changed, it seemed to be gradually turning its head to look at him...

"Hey, what are you spacing out for?" Qian Xiaoyi waved his hand in front of him and snapped his fingers. "Pop." "Done. You can close the door now."

"Yes!" Inuyama Heita quickly closed the door to the storage room, isolating himself from the eerie little room. The moment he closed the door, he breathed a sigh of relief. The chilling sensation disappeared, and it felt like returning to the real world from a nightmare.

Inuyama Heita stammered, "Mr. Qian, is that inside...?"

"That's right, it's the little ghost I 'kidnapped' today." Qian Xiaoyi stretched. "I made it a new home while I was at it, to help it settle down a bit."

"'Kidnapped'... If someone heard you say that, they'd misunderstand..." Inuyama Heita was speechless for a moment. The entity inside was clearly a terrifying being that gave him the creeps, but Qian Xiaoyi spoke of it as if it were no big deal.

Maybe this is the composure of a professional? Inuyama Heita thought.

Inuyama Heita suddenly felt a surge of excitement and continued, "Since you brought back the method of controlling followers so easily, does that mean all we have to do next is to 'kidnap' the other little ghosts one by one, and the Lucky Mutual Aid Society's plot will fall apart on its own? Is that what we're going to do?"

"It's not that simple." Qian Xiaoyi took a can of beer from the refrigerator and casually tossed a can of cola to Inuyama Heita. He opened the tab and took a swig of the ice-cold beer, letting out a satisfied sound before replying, "Based on my observations today, there are over a dozen people wearing those black Buddha amulets. Setting aside how to find their addresses and contact them without alerting the enemy, and how to retrieve the little ghosts from them, even if we succeed, it would be completely futile and meaningless."

"Thank you." Inuyama Heita took the cola and asked doubtfully, "Why would it be meaningless?"

Qian Xiaoyi leaned back on the sofa, crossed his legs, and explained while enjoying his ice-cold beer, "These nurtured little ghosts need a container to exist long-term, like those Buddha amulets mixed with their ashes, or even just urns. Otherwise, they can only survive for a maximum of seven days in the outside world. Remember, a maximum of seven days. If they don't return, they usually dissipate within two or three days. Of course, they can't go far either, because they can only operate near their original body. My situation is special. I feel that this method is slightly different from the evil arts where I come from, so I'm taking one back to observe and study, just in case something goes wrong."

"I see." Inuyama Heita understood and asked, "So what do we do next?"

"Next?" Qian Xiaoyi stared at Inuyama Heita and grinned, "The next part is up to you, Heitaro~"

"Um, it's Heita." Inuyama Heita felt a bad premonition under Qian Xiaoyi's gaze.

"Young man, I can see a dark cloud over your forehead. You're bound to encounter misfortune soon, and it will be unavoidable to suffer financial loss to avert disaster." Qian Xiaoyi said in a profound, charlatan-like tone.

After chatting for a while and clarifying the future plan, Qian Xiaoyi waved his hand grandly, "Alright, I've said what I needed to say. Go home quickly. Did you do your homework? If not, go do it. You have class tomorrow, right? Students should act like students. If you don't study hard now, how will you get into college in the future?"

Inuyama Heita got up, feeling a bit speechless. The other person's tone had suddenly become as nagging as a busybody mother.

The next day, Inuyama Heita went to class as usual, then went to his part-time job at the restaurant after school. He worked with a mixture of nervousness and anticipation until evening, then took the last train home, as if nothing had happened.

In reality, nothing had happened. Inuyama Heita did not experience the financial disaster Qian Xiaoyi had predicted; everything was normal.

However, the next day, while Inuyama Heita was working, a situation finally arose.

"Ah! It's so hot! Are you trying to kill me?!"

In the noisy dining hall, a pig-like scream suddenly rang out, silencing the entire hall. Diners turned their attention in that direction, looking curiously.

"I'm sorry! I'm truly so sorry!" Inuyama Heita bowed apologetically to the customer in front of him in a panic. "Are you alright?"

In front of him, the diner was wailing, clutching his arm. A large patch of his arm was red from the burn. On the floor nearby, a clay pot had shattered into two pieces, with rich broth spilling everywhere, emitting wisps of steam.

Hearing Inuyama Heita's question, the diner's companion yelled impolitely, "Alright? Are you blind? How could he be alright after being scalded by such a large pot of soup? Call an ambulance! Hurry up and call an ambulance, you idiot!"

"What's wrong?" The restaurant's supervisor immediately came to the scene. Seeing the situation, he yelled at Inuyama Heita, "Hey, Inuyama! What did you do to the customer! Hurry up and get some ice water and burn cream from the kitchen!"

"It was an accident... I'll go now!" Inuyama Heita hurriedly left the scene.

"What ice water? Didn't we ask you to call an ambulance?" the injured man's companion roared. "Is this how you treat your customers?"

The supervisor bowed repeatedly. "We are extremely sorry, esteemed guest. This is our mistake. I've already sent someone to get burn cream and ice water. This level of injury can be handled by the restaurant. As long as it's treated promptly, there won't be any scars. We will also provide subsequent compensation..."

"It hurts! It hurts so much... Ahhh, I'm going to die." The scalded person ignored them, wailing dramatically.

"Compensation is a given! Also, are you a doctor? We don't need your help." The person shouted forcefully, "He needs professional treatment right now! Didn't I tell you to call an ambulance? Are you not taking me seriously?"

"We are deeply sorry, I'll call an ambulance right away! However, we have experience in treating burns, so please let us handle it before the ambulance arrives..."

"I told you not to handle it, you idiot! Are you deliberately looking for trouble? Ambulance! Call the ambulance right now!"

"Yes! Yes! I'll make the call now... Hello, this is Shanwai Lou at 2-chome, 16-ban-gai. Someone has been scalded and urgently needs an ambulance..."