On the first floor of the villa, in a grand dining room decorated in an antique style, Li Fan's family and his colleagues from the Anomaly Bureau sat around a huge round table.
The table was laden with delicacies and fine liquor, while a cook bustled about nearby.
The young Anomaly Bureau employees still hadn't recovered from their shock. As they ate and drank, they kept turning to look at the villa's furnishings.
"Ah, Mr. Li, you can rest assured. Li Fan is a diligent, capable young man, full of talent. He made a major contribution as soon as he joined our department. He has a bright future ahead of him!"
At the table, Wu Qian clasped Li Fan's father's hand and declared this with a hearty slap to his own chest.
Li Fan's father carried himself like a successful businessman. He smiled warmly and said:
"Thank you for looking after him, Director Wu. I'm counting on you to guide Xiao Fan. To be honest, I know nothing but business, so I really can't help him with his work."
Then he turned to the young Anomaly Bureau employees gathered there, raised his glass, and said:
"Come, you talented young people. Your visit today has brought honor to our humble home. Please come by with Xiao Fan whenever you have time. You're all welcome here. I'll drink to you first!"
With that, he downed his drink.
"Thank you, Uncle Li!"
"You're too kind, Uncle Li!"
"Brother Fan, you really kept us in the dark!"
Zhao Lei and the other young people raised their glasses and drank, not forgetting to tease Li Fan.
His mother had a gentle, refined air, the very picture of a well-bred lady. She said softly:
"Everyone, have some food. Don't just drink. I'll have Auntie Zhang make some pear soup for you later."
Laughter and cheerful conversation filled the table.
As they chatted, everyone learned that Li Fan's father worked in the liquor business. He was the sole distributor of a well-known liquor brand throughout the entire southwest region. On top of that, he had spent years abroad when he was young and built up a strong network of connections. That was how the family had come by their considerable wealth.
Li Fan's mother was a refined, elegant hostess. In her younger years, she had been her husband's capable partner in business, but she had since stepped away from work to devote herself to art.
They had bought the villa two years earlier. Besides the couple, the household included Auntie Zhang, the cook, Old Sun, the gardener, and Driver Chen.
Mr. and Mrs. Li were overjoyed that Li Fan could move back in with them.
Wang Chaolong, Zhang Ya, and the others were now thoroughly convinced.
None of them had expected Li Fan to be so good at keeping his cards close to his chest.
He had seemed unremarkable, but he was actually a rich second-generation heir.
They couldn't compare with him at work, let alone when it came to family wealth.
"Brother Fan, your family's so rich. Why did you join the Anomaly Bureau?" Zhao Lei asked, puzzled.
If Li Fan had strong mental power, that would be one thing. But he wasn't particularly strong, and joining a dangerous place like the Anomaly Bureau seemed like asking for trouble.
The young trainee investigators nearby perked up their ears, eager to hear what Li Fan had to say.
Li Fan took a bite of food, then sighed.
"With the way things are now, anomalies are cropping up more and more often. What good is money on its own? The Anomaly Bureau keeps its work secret from the public, but its true standing in society is actually very high."
Wang Chaolong immediately nodded and said:
"Brother Fan's right. In this world, money needs power to protect it. Come, Brother Fan, let me toast you!"
Li Fan smiled and drank with Wang Chaolong, inwardly grumbling that the guy had been too thoroughly poisoned by bureaucratic thinking. It was always money or power with him. He should join the Cleaning Association.
The hosts and guests all enjoyed themselves. After eating and drinking their fill, Wu Qian led the young Anomaly Bureau employees out. As he left, he even said he'd give Li Fan a day off.
Li Fan firmly declined Director Wu's kind offer. Using the chance to see his superior to the car, he had Old Sun, the gardener, carry several cases of liquor to Wu Qian's vehicle.
Each of the other brothers received a few bottles as a welcoming gift, too.
The group left satisfied.
After standing at the villa entrance with his parents to wave off the Anomaly Bureau's cars, Li Fan returned to the first-floor living room and dropped onto the sofa.
His parents' expressions changed at once. They stood there, trembling, unsure whether they should go inside.
The gardener, driver, and housekeeper had all vanished without a trace.
They had never expected the Collector to become a full-fledged investigator on his very first day at work, let alone a department head!
Most importantly, they hadn't expected the Collector to move straight into his "home."
"This is bad, this is bad. We didn't get any warning at all. Is he going to be angry? Is... is our living situation too conspicuous? Does it violate the requirements?" His father asked his mother, his voice trembling.
After the Cuckoo Project began, the Cleaning Association cell under the Collector's control had gone into hiding. His parents were now primarily responsible for managing everything.
They controlled the funding as well.
So they hadn't scrimped when choosing their base, though they hadn't asked the Collector's permission.
His mother was nervous too, but not nearly as flustered as his father. She said:
"Although the Collector has always lived simply, believing that only a humble soul can enter the abyss to serve the Lord of the Abyss, we did this to ensure the Cuckoo Project went smoothly. Yes, it was for the Cuckoo Project! Besides, as the Collector's subordinates, we have to help him project his authority. Otherwise, those scheming people in the Association will disrespect him!"
As if trying to convince herself, his mother continued:
"I know the Collector can be rather... strict. If he won't accept this explanation, we must apologize sincerely. Remember that!"
His father looked toward the empty garden and muttered angrily:
"Damn it, Old Chen and Old Sun have no loyalty at all. They've both run off!"
His mother said:
"They're afraid the Collector might tear them apart if he gets upset... All right, let's go. Keep it together!"
Then she took a deep breath and led the way into the living room.
His father did his best to stay calm and followed close behind.
They entered the living room and stood before Li Fan. He looked up at them.
Both sides were terrified.
"Collector, please forgive us for acting without your permission. This villa..." His mother began.
Li Fan raised a hand and gently cut her off. Her face went deathly pale. She exchanged a glance with his father, and their hearts sank into hell.
Then Li Fan said expressionlessly:
"You did well."
His parents' hearts were immediately pulled back from the depths of hell.
The Collector was satisfied!
He liked the place!
Perhaps even a sage grew weary from time to time?
Or had something that happened at the Anomaly Bureau changed his tastes?
Whatever the reason, it was a good thing.
His father hurriedly said:
"I never imagined you'd rise to the Anomaly Bureau's leadership in just one day. I truly admire you!"
Li Fan nodded slightly and said:
"I'm only staying here temporarily. Don't be nervous. Any news from headquarters?"
His mother replied at once:
"Early this morning, we received an encrypted message from headquarters. They said they'd detected the aura of the Lord of the Abyss near Gu City and hoped you could look for the anomalous object that appeared last night. Headquarters is offering a huge reward."
Li Fan's face remained expressionless. He casually opened his backpack, took out a bag of Shell Currency, and tossed it to his father.
"Take it."
His parents opened the bag. The moment they saw the Shell Currency inside, they sensed the faint mental radiation coming from it.
As powerful Awakened Ones, they could tell that every coin had once held at least a hundred points of anomalous mental radiation.
There were so many of them. That alone showed just how potent the anomalous mental radiation was!
They could even sense traces of a once-powerful will.
Only its mental radiation remained. The Collector had clearly erased the will itself.
They already had an ingrained understanding of how powerful the Collector was, yet seeing these items still left them deeply shaken.
He was so powerful he could rival a god, yet right now he felt like an ordinary man.
That terrifying contrast only made them fear him more.
For a moment, they couldn't even find a word of praise.
Li Fan stood up and said:
"I'm a little tired."
His mother hurriedly replied:
"We've prepared the largest suite on the second floor for you. You can move right in."
When they'd used the funds to buy the villa, they had already set aside a room for the Collector as a precaution. If he was displeased, they could claim it was for him.
They hadn't expected it to come in handy now.
Li Fan nodded and went up to his room on the second floor.
"Bang!" The door closed.
Upstairs, Li Fan breathed a sigh of relief. Downstairs, his parents did the same.
"Old Li, arrange a secure courier route immediately and send these things to headquarters in New Continent." His mother put the Shell Currency in a suitcase and spoke solemnly.
His father nodded. "Good thing we prepared a room in advance. I hope he likes it."
They couldn't let the Collector think they were incompetent.
From now on, they would have to do their jobs diligently.
After all, serving a ruler was like serving a tiger.
The suite on the second floor was dim behind its heavy curtains.
Li Fan turned on the light.
The walls were lined with wooden shelves.
On them were human heads—some dried and pickled, some preserved in formalin, others made into taxidermy specimens.
They stared at Li Fan from every direction.
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