Lucky Mutual Aid Society (31)

"Mr. Qian... what exactly are you talking about?" Inuyama Heita looked at Qian Xiaoyi as though he were a stranger. Unable to believe it, he said, "Our goal was to destroy this organization that deceived everyone. Now that we've achieved that goal, you're saying we should become the next Lucky Mutual Aid Society? Keep deceiving people and hurting them?"

Qian Xiaoyi coaxed him, "We can do it in a better way. We can do better than they did. Besides, even if you save him, he might go on deceiving people, so just leave him alone, okay?"

"I refuse." Inuyama Heita said with disgust. "Please let go of me. Let me go over there."

"What if I refuse? Heita-kun, society isn't simply black and white. There are so many resources here going unused—it would be such a waste. Rather than let someone else have them, why not keep them in our own hands? Then we can shape it according to our own ideas and make it beneficial to society. It's a win-win." Qian Xiaoyi's expression turned cold. "This benefits both of us! I can understand why you don't want to join an evil organization, but can you tell me why you want to save Harada? Don't tell me you're one of those kind-hearted high school manga protagonists who wants to save everyone. This guy isn't a good person. I've planned for so long—every arrangement was for this very moment. I can't let you ruin everything!"

"He's guilty, and he deserves to be punished. I know that." Inuyama Heita replied. "But I can't accept him dying in such an absurd way, killed by ghosts! And... I can't accept Mr. Qian like this either... I have a question. Please answer me."

Qian Xiaoyi frowned at him. "Ask."

Inuyama Heita asked, "When we first met, you saved me and even shared a half-price bento with me. Was that part of your plan too?"

Qian Xiaoyi said, "I'm not some immortal. How could I have predicted that far ahead? I just helped out on a whim."

"Is that so?" Inuyama Heita nodded. "Thank you."

Suddenly, Inuyama Heita punched Qian Xiaoyi in the face, sending him staggering. Taking the opportunity, he broke free from his restraints, turned around, and ran resolutely toward Harada Taro with the two broken halves of the Law Ruler in hand.

"Damn... that little brat really hits hard." Qian Xiaoyi muttered, clutching his aching nose.

Inuyama Heita pulled a plastic bag from his pocket, tore it into strips, and quickly tied the broken parts of the Law Ruler together, completing a crude repair. He waved the Law Ruler and drove away the little ghosts. Sensing the threat of the Law Ruler, they abandoned their attack on Harada Taro and scattered aside. Inuyama Heita took the chance to stand in front of Harada Taro, staring at the little creatures in a panic.

The two sides immediately fell into a standoff. Matsui's little ghost seemed bolder than the others. Opening its mouth, it lunged straight at Inuyama Heita's face like a ferocious rat. Inuyama Heita cried out and instinctively swung the Law Ruler at it. He did hit it, and the little ghost recoiled in terror as if it had touched a red-hot branding iron. But a plastic bag was hardly ideal repair material. With that single swing, the poorly tied half of the Law Ruler flew far away, and the warmth in his hand vanished again.

"Yah!" The little ghosts seemed to realize that Inuyama Heita no longer had anything to rely on, and crawled toward Harada behind him again. Harada had already slipped into a semi-conscious state, his face twisted in pain as he muttered incomprehensible delirium.

"Go away! Don't come any closer!" Inuyama Heita reached out to brush the little ghosts aside, but his hand passed through their bodies as though he had plunged it into icy muddy water. He could feel them, yet could not stop them. Instead, the contact made him feel terrible, as though he had fallen into an ice pit.

From a short distance away, Qian Xiaoyi said, "Hey, Heitaro, your connection with them is too weak. You can't affect them. If you keep touching them like this, you'll only make yourself sick. You can't save Harada anyway, so give up. Once this is over, I'll make you the Holy Son of the Lucky Mutual Aid Society. How about it?"

Inuyama Heita ignored him. Seeing that the little ghosts paid no attention to him, he ran to the side and picked up the other half of the Law Ruler, trying to put it back together. But this time, even after it was pieced together, it no longer produced the warm current from before. Clearly, it was completely broken.

"Damn it!" Inuyama Heita panicked, but he had no other options left. He could only watch helplessly as Harada Taro's breathing grew weaker and weaker...

BANG!

"Police! Nobody move!"

All of a sudden, the hall doors were kicked open. A middle-aged man in a gray suit strode in menacingly with several officers. Suzuki, who had run out earlier, was behind them, seemingly leading the way.

As the sealed doors of the hall opened, a gust of wind blew in and scattered the thin smoke around the stage. Inuyama Heita felt fresh air rush over him, making him feel much better. The atmosphere in the hall changed at once. To his surprise, the little ghosts dispersed along with the wind and smoke, leaving only Harada Taro lying on the ground and groaning.

"What's going on? Why is it so dark in here? Nobody turn on the lights?" the middle-aged policeman said, pressing the switch by the door. Light immediately returned to the hall, no longer limited to the lamps near the stage, and the oppressive atmosphere changed completely.

"Police?! Why are the police here?" Hongo grew nervous at the sight of them.

The middle-aged policeman looked around, directly displayed his identification, and announced loudly, "I am Patrol Chief Sae Yusuke of the Metropolitan Police Department's Criminal Affairs Bureau, First Investigation Division, Violent Crimes Investigation Section 9. We received a report that the religious group known as the Lucky Mutual Aid Society is suspected of illegal corpse trafficking. Please cooperate with our investigation. Since you are all here, come with us... Hm? You must be Mr. Qian."

Qian Xiaoyi smiled. "That's right. I'm the one who called the police."

Sae nodded. "Thank you for providing the tip. However, we'll still need you to come to the station later to make a statement and answer some questions."

"Of course," Qian Xiaoyi said.

Everyone else was completely stunned. Inuyama Heita's mind was blank, and he had no idea what was happening.

"Where's the patient? Who called for an ambulance?" At that moment, several medical personnel carrying a stretcher rushed in from outside. Only then did everyone remember that Harada Taro was still lying on the ground convulsing, and chaos immediately broke out again.

Inuyama Heita cautiously walked over to Qian Xiaoyi and asked, "Mr. Qian... what exactly is going on?"

"I told you, I arranged everything long ago." Qian Xiaoyi smiled and patted Inuyama Heita on the shoulder. "Oh, right. Congratulations, Heitaro."

"Huh? Congratulations for what?"

"Congratulations on passing the employment test, of course~ From now on, you're an official employee of the Lingkong Exorcism Office."

Inuyama Heita's mind could barely process it. "Wait? Mr. Qian, could it be... everything you said before was just a test?"

"Why are you calling me Mr. Qian?" Qian Xiaoyi said smugly. "Call me Brother Yi!"

"...Brother Yi."